Slaves, Masters and Murder: Brittany Kilgore's killer claims innocence, 11 years after slaying
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Jessica Lopez, a California resident convicted for the murder of Brittany Killgore, has failed in her bid to overturn her murder conviction.
Lopez, who was involved in a "throuple," has persistently asserted she was innocent, claiming that her confession was coerced under the influence of her "master" and "mistress."
Despite her latest attempt, a San Diego court ruled on Tuesday, September 12, that she must continue serving her sentence.
What happened to Brittany Killgore?
On April 17, 2012, the body of 22-year-old Brittany Killgore was discovered near Lake Skinner in Riverside County, California.
Lopez, then 25, went to a Ramada Inn hotel in San Diego and attempted to kill herself, leaving behind a letter, confessing to Killgore's murder.
She was saved after medics intervened, but it also marked the beginning of her legal ordeal, culminating in her arrest.
The case took a turn when Lopez's confession implicated her "master" Marine Staff Sgt Louis Ray Perez, then 45, and his pregnant girlfriend, Dorothy Maraglino, then 40, whom Lopez referred to as her "mistress."
The trio was involved in a bizarre sexual relationship, with Lopez taking on the role of a submissive slave, wearing a dog collar and even eating from a dog bowl.
Killgore was acquainted with Perez and Maraglino through her husband Cory, who is also a marine. However, she had filed for divorce shortly before she went missing, as Cory was serving in Afghanistan.
As Killgore prepared to move back to her home state of Missouri, Perez approached her with an offer to go on a dinner cruise.
He reportedly abducted her, forced her into sexual bondage and tortured her before strangling her to death and dumping her body.
In 2015, Perez, Maraglino, and Lopez were convicted of Killgore's murder and received life sentences.
However, Lopez thought she could walk away when in 2018 a change in California law stipulated that accomplices who did not actively participate in the killing or play a significant role should not be charged with murder.
At the same time, Maraglino also petitioned to have her murder conviction overturned under the new law, but a court date for her hearing has yet to be set.
Jessica Lopez changes her story in court
Recently, Lopez altered her narrative in court, asserting that she had not been involved in the killing but had authored the confession under orders from her "master" and "mistress."
Her attorney, Sloan Ostbye, argued that Lopez was a willing slave, "manipulated, used, and told to take responsibility for the crime."
Lopez stated, "Slaves don't ask questions. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true," per the Daily Mail.
Lopez alleged that on the day of Killgore's abduction, she and Maraglino were at a grocery store when Perez kidnapped the victim.
However, as Maraglino had forgotten her wallet, they had to return home. There, Lopez found Perez distracted and went to her car with the grocery bags before entering the garage, which had been converted into her living quarters.
It was there that she discovered Killgore on her knees, her head, which was covered in tape, on the floor and her face turned away.
Lopez added that Perez and Maraglino were present in the room, engaged in conversation and directed her to go upstairs. She obeyed and spent the evening by herself, watching a movie.
The following day, Perez ordered her to help dispose of Killgore's body.
Despite these claims, the judge ruled that Lopez had played a major role in the killing and upheld her conviction.
"He had an understanding of the lifestyle between these participants, the BDSM lifestyle and the violence that was inflicted in the home," said Patrick Espinoza, chief deputy district attorney of San Diego, explaining the judge's decision.
Espinoza added, "And he was able to use that evidence to make a conclusion that she was not only a major participant, but she also had a reckless disregard for human life."