Prosecutors have charged a 25-year-old Los Angeles man with murder and mutilation of human remains after he allegedly killed and dismembered his wife, a Scottish native and aspiring defense attorney, following a heated argument earlier this month.
June Renteria, 37, also known as June Bunyan, was found dead inside her Hollywood apartment on Sept. 11. Her husband, Jonathan Renteria, admitted in a handwritten note that he killed her, prosecutors said.
“My wife, June Renteria, is deceased in her apartment. I kill her. I am truly sorry,” the note read, according to court documents.
Authorities discovered the confession inside a Ventura County hotel room, where Renteria was found bleeding from a self-inflicted forearm wound. The note included his Hollywood address, which led police to the gruesome discovery. Inside the apartment, officers found Renteria’s body in an advanced state of decomposition, her arms and legs severed.
Court filings state that the couple had argued over June’s weight following her pregnancy. When she began packing her belongings and threatened to leave with their infant daughter, Renteria allegedly put her in a rear-naked chokehold learned in Jiu Jitsu, killing her. The coroner later confirmed she died of traumatic neck injuries.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured Renteria leaving the apartment with his newborn before returning with garbage bags. He later admitted to police that he dismembered his wife’s body in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Neighbors described the marriage as troubled, citing a history of verbal abuse and disturbing social media posts by the suspect. One neighbor, Arielle Miller, told ABC News she was not surprised by the outcome, calling it a “tragic case of domestic violence.”
June Renteria’s family remembered her as a woman with a “vibrant personality and deeply compassionate heart.” A graduate of law school, she had moved to the U.S. to fulfill her dream of becoming a defense attorney.
Jonathan Renteria was arrested the same day her body was discovered. He is being held on $4 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18.
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