Nevada man Jerry Jay murder his girlfriend Cecelia Barber Finona

US man has been charged with murder following the discovery of his girlfriend's body two years later.

A man in the United States has been charged with murder in connection with the death of his partner, two years after she was last seen alive.

Jerry Jay, 59, was charged this week in Nevada with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and tampering with evidence.

The charges stem from the discovery of his missing girlfriend Cecelia Finona's body near Las Vegas in February.

Mr Jay has been detained in Nevada since June 2019, less than a week after Ms Finona's disappearance from her Farmington, New Mexico, home.

He was charged shortly after his arrest with fraudulent use of a credit card.

According to NBC, he was arrested after withdrawing cash using her debit cards in Farmington, two locations in Arizona, and finally Las Vegas.

Chief Steve Hebbe of the Farmington Police Department stated in a statement that the department has "very mixed feelings" about the arrest.

"This concludes two years of searching, and we are profoundly disappointed by the outcome," he said.

"We will continue to work as we have since the day she vanished to ensure that whoever is responsible is brought to justice. "

We extend our deepest sympathies to Cecelia's family and friends."

Ms Finona recently retired from a 31-year career in the United States Army, where she was the primary caregiver for her mother.