The woman accused in the death of Brittany Killgore, a Camp Pendleton Marine’s wife whose body was found near a Southern California lake, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder Thursday.
Bail was set at $3 million at Jessica Lynn Lopez’s arraignment in Vista Superior Court, north of San Diego. She could get life in prison if convicted.
Paramedics reportedly found Lopez, 25, in a hotel room with self-inflicted wounds and a suicide note on Tuesday hours before authorities discovered Killgore’s remains. No further details were released about the note.
Another Marine, Louis Ray Perez, 45, remains a person of interest in the case. Investigators say he was the last person seen with Killgore.
Brittany Killgore disappeared on April 13, four days after she filed for divorce from her husband, Lance Cpl. Cory Killgore, who was deployed to Afghanistan seven months ago. Cory Killgore has not been named as a suspect or person of interest and is returning to California after learning about the case.
Perez was being held on $500,000 bail after pleading not guilty Wednesday to stealing an assault weapon. Authorities say he took the weapon from a man in early February.
It was unclear if the weapon might have been connected to the killing of Killgore.
Perez has been in the military for 16 years, has no criminal history and is married, said Jeffrey Reichert, his attorney.
