Louis Perez

Louis Ray Perez, 48, Dorothy Gracemarie Maraglino, 39, and Jessica Lynn Lopez, 27, were all in court on Friday, October 10. The defendants deny all accusations pertaining to the kidnapping, torturing, and murder of a Marine’s wife in San Diego County more than two years ago.

Dorothy Maraglino

Jessica Lopez

A judge said he hoped to know in two months if the district attorney’s office intends to pursue the death penalty against any of three defendants.

Judge K. Michael Kirkman noted on the record again that this is a “special circumstances” case in which the prosecutor has alleged crimes that make the defendants eligible for the ultimate penalty.

The body of Brittany Dawn Killgore, 22, was found dumped on the side of a road in a neighboring county four days after she went missing in 2012. On April 13 of that year, the young woman reportedly got into a car with defendant Perez; 13 minutes later she texted the word “HELP” to a friend, according to evidence presented at a preliminary hearing more than a year ago.

The apartment where Killgore lived was one mile from the home in downtown Fallbrook where horrific acts of torture allegedly occurred, according to prosecutor Patrick Espinoza.

Perez was an active-duty Marine based at Camp Pendleton when he was arrested in connection with this case.

Also during the hearing, an attorney for Lopez requested the court to release records obtained from a pregnancy clinic where Maraglino had received care. And an attorney for Perez requested copies of the psychiatric records of Lopez. The judge made a private assessment of those subpoenaed records and then released some records and delayed the release of others.

Each defendant is held in lieu of $3 million bail, pleads not guilty to all charges, and is next expected in court on December 12.