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GREENSBORO — Regan Bailey and the man charged with killing her dated two years ago and knew each other through church, Greensboro police said at a news conference today.

Jonathan Newell, 30, of 1529 Lovett St., is charged in the death of Bailey on Jan 16. Bailey, 26, was strangled at her residence at 309 Willoughby Blvd., according to autopsy reports.

Greensboro police and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Newell at 7 p.m. Tuesday at his residence, said Capt. Janice Rogers of the Greensboro Police Department. Newell was being held without bond today in the Guilford County jail in Greensboro.

"This (arrest was made by) following leads through our investigation," Rogers said. "I am thankful we were able to make this arrest and bring some closure to the family."

Police said at this morning's news conference that they believed Bailey died on Monday, Jan. 14. Her mother, Lois Bailey, found her daughter lifeless on Jan. 16 when she returned from an out-of-town trip.

Police said Bailey's home showed no signs of forced entry.

Daniel Bailey, Regan's father and a lawyer in Wentworth, said he got word of the arrest at 9:30 p.m. and broke into tears.

"I am just a big mess," he said.

Bailey said he immediately contacted his ex-wife, Lois, who was out of town, to share the news. He said she was "relieved and very emotional" upon hearing of the arrest.

"This has been awful for five months," Bailey said. "I'll never have any joy on this case, but I do feel relief."

Bailey would not comment Tuesday evening on whether he recognized Newell's name, saying he did not want to compromise the investigation.

Regan Bailey's van was missing and was found the next day at an apartment complex on Lees Chapel Road. Police combed through the Bailey home for three days, gathering evidence and analyzing the crime scene.

Police remained mum on most details of the case for months and wouldn't comment on a cause of death until an autopsy report revealed that Regan Bailey had been strangled.

Rogers said Tuesday that evidence had been returned from analysis at the State Bureau of Investigation crime lab.

She would not comment on what evidence was analyzed or whether any of it linked Newell to the crime scene.

A public records search by the News & Record of Newell's criminal history showed mostly misdemeanor offenses, including assault on a female and traffic charges.

Police are not saying what led to the arrest Tuesday.

Daniel Bailey said he had contacted Rep. Nelson Cole, who represents Rockingham County, and asked for his help in speeding up the analysis of evidence in the case.

"I am just extremely thankful of Nelson Cole. He called and got the SBI to expedite the DNA analysis, and I just appreciate that," Bailey said. "I think that made all the difference."

Wednesday morning, Cole said he was glad to help.

"I pleaded the case on behalf of the parents because of the length of time it was taking," Cole said. "I was just very pleased I could help out, that's what it's all about."

Police Chief Tim Bellamy broke news of the arrest Tuesday evening at the City Council meeting. Bellamy said credit goes to the detectives, SBI and the district attorney's office for resolving the case.

"The biggest benefit is to the mother and father, and the community," Bellamy said.

Staff writers Sonja Elmquist, Amanda Lehmert, Mark Binker and Joe Killian contributed to this report.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com