Authorities identified the skeletal remains on Thursday of two people found over the weekend by a hiker near a trail in Ventura County and determined that both died from gunshot wounds in an apparent murder suicide.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Unit was sent to the area of Sunrise Trail and Autumn Trail after the hiker called on Sunday to report the discovery of what appeared to be skeletonized human remains.
The discovery was later confirmed to be two sets of human remains, a male and a female, by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.
“After examination of the remains, the Medical Examiner’s Office positively identified the individuals as Jose Luis Perez and Stephanie Elizabeth Perez and determined that both died of gunshot wounds of the head,” the Sheriff’s Department stated.
Stephanie Elizabeth Perez, 65, was listed on the news release as a homicide victim in the news release. Jose Luis Perez’s death was described as a suicide. Both were from Simi Valley.
“This appears to be an isolated incident, as the subjects were known to one another and were both reported missing in July of 2024,” the Sheriff’s Department stated.
Anyone with further information was asked to contact Det. DeLaCerda at 805 384-4724.
