California sex slave Jessica Lopez convicted of Brittany Killgore’s 2012 S&M murder in dungeon now claims she’s innocent and that she only confessed to keep her throuple ‘master’ and ‘mistress’ out of prison
A willing California “sex slave” who confessed in 2012 to the murder of a woman kidnapped by her “masters” has retracted her confession, arguing she should be released – but a court on Tuesday ordered her to remain locked up.
Jessica Lopez wrote a seven-page confession letter after the body of 22-year-old Brittany Killgore was found on April 17, 2012 near Lake Skinner in Riverside County, California.
Lopez, then 25 years old, went to a Ramada Inn hotel in San Diego and attempted suicide, leaving the letter behind.
She was found by doctors, resuscitated and then arrested.
Lopez’s letter led to the arrest of her “master,” Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Ray Perez, then 45, and his pregnant girlfriend Dorothy Maraglino, then 40, whom Lopez described as her “mistress.” The trio had a three-way ‘throuple’ relationship with Lopez wearing a dog collar and eating out of a dog bowl.
Jessica Lopez, who said she was a willing “sex slave” for Louis Perez and Dorothy Maraglino, is pictured in court before her sentencing in November 2015. On Tuesday, she lost her bid to overturn her murder conviction.
A pregnant Dorothy Maraglino is pictured in June 2012 after her arrest for the murder of Brittany Killgore. Her partner, Louis Perez (right), is pictured at his trial in March 2013
Killgore was kidnapped by Louis Perez, a Marine, whom she knew through her husband Cory Killgore, who was also a Marine
Brittany and Cory Killgore. He was in Afghanistan when she was killed: she had filed for divorce two weeks before her death
Killgore’s husband Cory Killgore was a Marine and through her husband she knew Perez and Maraglino.
She had filed for divorce just days before she disappeared while Cory was serving in Afghanistan. She was packing her things to move to Missouri when Perez approached her and offered to help if she wanted to go on a dinner cruise with him.
Perez then kidnapped Killgore and forced her into a sexual slavery and torture session before she was strangled and dumped in the ditch.
All three – Perez, Maraglino and Lopez – were convicted of Killgore’s murder in 2015 and received life sentences.
But Lopez wanted to take advantage of a 2018 law change that stipulated that accomplices who were not the actual killers or who did not play a significant role in the killing would not be charged with murder.
Lopez changed her story last week, telling a judge that she did not participate in the murder but wrote the confession because she was under the orders of her “master” and “mistress.”
Sloan Ostbye, Lopez’s attorney, told the court last week that Lopez was a willing “slave” and wrote the confession letter in an attempt to spare her “master” and “mistress.”
“She was manipulated, used and told to take responsibility for the crime,” Ostbye said Union Tribune of San Diego.
Lopez told the court, “Slaves don’t ask questions. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.’
Jessica Lopez is pictured in June 2012 speaking to her lawyer in court
Lopez said she and Maraglino were at a convenience store while Perez kidnapped Killgore, but forgot her wallet, so drove home to get it and found a “distracted” Perez.
Lopez returned to the store and Perez texted Maraglino to come home.
The two women returned home and Maraglino entered the house and told Lopez to wait in the car.
Lopez said she waited in the car, then grabbed the shopping bags and went into the garage, which had been converted into her bedroom.
In the room she saw a woman on her knees, with her head on the floor and her face turned away.
Lopez said the woman had tape wrapped around her head.
Lopez said Perez and Maraglino were also in the room talking, and ordered Lopez upstairs.
She complied and spent the evening alone watching a movie.
Brittany Killgore was forced into a BDSM session by Perez and Maraglino while Lopez was upstairs, Lopez now says
The next day, Perez ordered her to help dispose of Killgore’s body.
Ostbye argued that Lopez, as a willing sex slave, was brainwashed by Perez and Maraglino.
She ate from a dog bowl, wore a collar and participated in their bondage, discipline, dominance and submission sessions.
“She was willing to get haircuts, tattoos, eat out of bowls and even commit suicide,” Ostbye said.
“She was so controlled and brainwashed that she did what she was told.”
However, on Tuesday the judge decided that Lopez was a major participant in the murder, and that the conviction should therefore be upheld.
“He was understanding of the lifestyle between these participants, the BDSM lifestyle and the violence that was inflicted in the home,” said San Diego Chief Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza, explaining the judge’s decision.
“And he was able to use that evidence to conclude that not only was she a significant participant, but that she also had a reckless disregard for human life.”
Maraglino has also filed a petition to have her murder conviction expunged under the new law. 10 News reported. No court date has yet been set for her hearing.