Married 40 Years, Found Dead Side-by-Side in Dirt

Newbury Park area in Thousand Oaks, California. Photo by Alfred Twu under CC0 1.0.

A Sunday hike turned from serene to surreal when a California man wandered off the beaten path in Thousand Oaks and stumbled upon something he'd never forget — human remains lying in the dirt and brush.

What began as a routine trek through the Sunrise and Autumn Trails on May 4 ended in a crime scene and the beginning of answers to a nearly yearlong mystery that had haunted a quiet Southern California community.

A Shocking Discovery in the Hills

It was just before 7 p.m. when the hiker made the call to the authorities. Nestled near the winding trails of Thousand Oaks, the skeletal remains of two adults lay hidden in a secluded area of Ventura County. Officials soon identified them as Jose Luis Perez, 64, and Stephanie Elizabeth Perez, 65 — a married couple from Simi Valley who had been missing since July 2024.

Their disappearance had baffled investigators and family members alike. When police first entered their home 10 months earlier, they found nearly everything intact — money, identification, cell phones, even their car.

It was as if the Perezes had simply vanished into thin air.

Piecing Together the Tragedy

Now, authorities believe they didn't vanish — they retreated. According to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office, both Jose and Stephanie died from gunshot wounds to the head. Jose's death has been ruled a suicide, and Stephanie's a homicide. Investigators say this points to an alleged murder-suicide.

Detectives from the sheriff's Major Crimes Unit are still working to determine a motive, and no suicide note or message has been publicly disclosed. The couple had reportedly lost contact with all friends and family around July 16, 2024. Stephanie's employer was the first to sound the alarm when she failed to log into her remote job, prompting a welfare check and the initial missing persons report.

A Year of Silence, Then a Sudden Break

Despite their personal items being left behind, no trace of the Perezes was found until the hiker's disturbing discovery almost 10 months later. Skeletal remains indicated the bodies had been exposed to the elements for an extended period, complicating early forensic analysis. Officials emphasized the incident appears to be isolated and involved only the couple, who were well known to each other.

Questions Remain

What prompted the Perezes to leave everything behind and disappear into the hills? Why that trail? And why now? These are just a few of the unanswered questions as investigators continue to dig deeper into the couple's background and final days.

So far, there's been no official confirmation on prior domestic disturbances or mental health concerns.

For now, the quiet trails of Thousand Oaks hold one less mystery — but many more questions.

References: Hiker Stumbles Upon Skeletal Remains of Couple Missing Nearly a Year After Murder-Suicide | Remains Found on T.O. Trail ID'd as Missing Simi Couple; Homicide Investigation Launched | Hiker on Calif. Trail Came Upon Horrifying Discovery: Bodies of Missing Couple, as Police Reveal How They Died