WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: Justin Rey, 35, was discovered in a storage facility with his offspring and the flayed and segmented remains of his spouse, Jessica Monteiro, 32. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark
Add us as preferred source Comments
Just hours following the arrival of their infant daughter, a father was unearthed in a storage space alongside his two daughters and the butchered corpse of his partner.
Justin Rey, aged 35, horrifically “skinned” Jessica Monteiro “like a fish” subsequent to her unfortunate passing shortly after giving birth at a motel at age 32, and proceeded to capture a disturbing image with her remains and their two offspring.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Jessica’s mortal remains were located in various containers – initially, Rey asserted she had taken her own life, later altering his account to indicate she perished during labor. The exact reason for her demise could not be established by the medical examiner who performed the examination.
The recent mother had delivered her child in a Kansas City lodging house, and instead of contacting emergency personnel following her untimely death, Rey divided her body in the washroom. He defended this appalling action by articulating apprehension that his two daughters would be taken from his care.
He devoted a frightful eight hours dissecting his partner’s body before keeping it in a portable refrigerator, as unveiled by Jessica’s sibling, according to the Mirror.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
READ MORE: Woman stabbed ‘multiple times’ in UK city as police launch manhunt
READ MORE: ‘One of the best’ TV crime series with Grantchester star now streaming for free
During his initial court appearance, Rey proclaimed: “It’s an action I was compelled to undertake. My relatives hold immense significance for me. It was an act I had to execute to safeguard my family.”
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Following his apprehension in October of 2017, Rey confessed his culpability to the Johnson County District Court, conveying his ambition to maintain his family intact.
Law enforcement discovered Rey alongside the newly born female infant and his two-year-old girl, subsequent to accounts of an individual residing within the storage unit with a pair of minors.
One officer testified that the older child “presented an appearance akin to a cancer sufferer”. Rey then notified officers of his intent to journey to Arizona to conduct a suitable ritual for his spouse.
Rey was apprehended, and his offspring were placed under protective supervision. Lenexa police investigator Shannon Murphy testified Rey had situated his offspring for photographic captures alongside their mother’s cadaver, and Rey then recognized that he had “skinned her like a fish”.
Murphy provided confirmation that Ray admitted to storing the body parts incapable of being eliminated through the toilet in receptacles.
Deputy Johnson County Coroner Charles Glenn apprised the tribunal that a “series” of puncture marks were detected on the body segments, though he declared that it was unfeasible to ascertain if they predated or followed her death.
During his noteworthy testimony, Rey upheld his assertion that they had been at the storage site for a duration of merely 11 hours when they were detected. He additionally conveyed to the court that he solely flushed the placenta down the drain, not any other physical components.
“The ordeal was far from enjoyable for me,” he articulated.
Investigators have alleged that Rey captured images alongside his wife’s body and his newborn and two-year-old, before dismembering the remains two days later within a hotel bathroom, depositing certain remnants within a sizable cooler.
Surveillance footage depicted him maneuvering a crimson cooler, topped with a black bag, through the hotel premises, while propelling a stroller with a young child walking next to him.
When probed about her dismemberment, Rey communicated to The Associated Press, “What alternative did I possess? I harbored no intention of abandoning mama.”
Rey’s legal representative presented queries solely concerning the images uncovered on his mobile device, preventing the legal prosecutors from examining him regarding the progeny and the fate of his wife.
Don’t miss: Twisted teen ‘vampire killer’ youngest on death row after slaughtering couple
Don’t miss: Teen tortured and hacked to death sent final harrowing message to his mum
However, throughout a progression of phone interchanges, Rey stated he refrained from reaching out to law enforcement as he sought to avert them from “appropriating additional offspring.”
He conveyed that he and his spouse had produced six children collectively and that law enforcement had “taken our children prior to this instance.”
In correspondence to AP, dated June 23, Rey penned, “My progeny had not been exposed to any perils, I am not a perpetrator of murder, I at no point deserted a corpse, nor did I reside within a storage unit/facility, or view/record child pornography.”
He did, however, append: “I engaged in the dismemberment of a deceased cadaver, guided by religious convictions.”
The day’s biggest headlines in UK and World news Subscribe Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Get More of Our News on Google
Set Daily Express as a ‘Preferred Source’ to get quicker access to the news you value.
Rey encountered accusations encompassing two counts of severe child endangerment and a pair of counts of contributing to a child’s delinquency – these were unrelated to his own children, originating instead from images of young adults discovered on Rey’s cellular device subsequent to his entreaty for law enforcement to scrutinize it for substantiation he believed would aid him during his trial.
Rey observed the proceeding via video feed from a separate enclosure after he interrupted with such frequency that a judge directed his removal. Rey will be obligated to register as a sex offender as a component of his sentence of nine years of confinement.