Texas man gets 15 years to life in prison for murder of Santa Cruz woman
UPDATE: 9/27/2018 3:31 p.m. A man responsible for killing a Santa Cruz woman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Monterey County investigators said 43-year-old Texas transient, Dale Dean Pierce murdered 51-year-old Remi Casillas.
Casillas was reported missing in February of 2015. Authorities said she was last seen in Sand City with Pierce.
In August of 2016, Casillas’s body was discovered behind a gas station on Rio Road in Carmel.
“Deputies located a wallet containing an identification card belonging to Pierce near her body,” said the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
Detectives spent 16 months investigating Casillas’s death.
In late Nov. the sheriff’s office got a tip that Pierce was in Taos, New Mexico. Detectives traveled to Taos and questioned Pierce about his relationship with Casillas.
The DA’s Office said Pierce confessed to the murder. He was arrested and extradited to Monterey County for prosecution.
Pierce entered a plea of no contest to a felony count of second degree murder on August 7, 2018.
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12/11/2017 1:58 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office identified a man responsible for killing a Santa Cruz woman, and burying her body behind a Carmel gas station.
Monterey County investigators said Texas transient, Dale Dean Pierce murdered 51-year-old Santa Cruz resident, Remi Casillas. Casillas body was found buried in August of 2016 at 3645 Rio Road in Carmel.
Casillas remains had been discovered during a construction project. She was a transient that frequented both Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties.
During the investigation into Casillass death, Pierce was one of several persons of interest.
In November, investigators found out Pierce was in Taos, New Mexico. On December 4, with the help of Taos PD, officers found him at a grocery store parking lot and he agreed to talk to police. During an interview Pierce confessed to premeditated murder. He also showed investigators at least one of the weapons used to commit the murder.
There is no motive at this time.
Pierce was taken into custody in Taos for the murder of Casillas, where he is awaiting extradition to Monterey County for murder. More charges could come depending on the investigation.
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The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday it has identified the body found in August in Carmel.
Remie Casillas, 51, of Santa Cruz, was identified by DNA. She also went by the last name of Cousey.
She was reported missing in March. Her last contact with law enforcement came in February of 2015 in Sand City.
On August 26, 2016, her body was discovered at 3645 Rio Road in Carmel. The cause of death is still under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding the her death is urged to contact Detective Bret Speirs at (831) 755-3772 or Detective Randal Dyck at (831) 755-3792.
