Murder-Suicide Killed Embracing Hikers, Coroner Says

CERRITOS, CA – A young Southland couple whose bodies were found this week embracing in Joshua Tree died from gunshot wounds, according the the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. Detectives believe Joseph Orbeso, 22, of Lakewood, shot Rachel Nguyen, 20, of Westminster before turning the gun on himself in a desperate final option of a dying couple lost in the wilderness.

Due to "suspicious circumstances" and "visible injuries" on hikers' bodies, detectives from the Specialized Investigations Division Homicide Detail were requested to respond to the location, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a written statement on Friday.

"During [the] autopsy, injuries consistent with a gunshot wound were located on both Nguyen and Orbeso," the agency said. "Based on evidence located at the scene, detectives believe Orbeso shot Nguyen, then shot himself."

The motive behind Orbeso’s actions remains under investigation, sheriff's officials said. It's also not clear how long the pair, who were missing since the middle of summer, were dead before they were found.

Sheriff's officials said a gun was found at the scene. Coachella Valley television station KESQ reported that the gun was registered to Joseph Orbeso.

The couple's remains were found in an embrace in a remote part of the park near Maze Loop. The bodies were recovered Monday morning.

Cindy Bachman of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department told ABC7 the couple's bodies were found under a tree, possibly in an attempt to shield themselves from the heat.

"They had positioned their clothing to ... cover the lower parts of their body from the sun and the heat," Bachman said. "Investigators say it appeared they were rationing food, and they had no water."

She said there is no evidence of any prior intent by Orbeso to harm Nguyen, and the pair likely found themselves in "dire" circumstances.

"They were lost. They were in a bad area there and their resources were either almost gone or gone. Again, they were in a very desperate situation," Bachman told Channel 7.

The couple was last seen July 27 and were reported missing the next day after they did not check out of their Airbnb rental. They were found Oct. 15, but the bodies could not be recovered until Oct. 16 due to insufficient daylight, according to sheriff's officials.

Upon the discovery of the bodies, the male hiker's dad said the two were embracing.

“I want Joseph to be remembered as a kind, caring and thoughtful person,” Gilbert Orbeso, father to Orbeso, wrote in an email to Southern California News Group. “The way he was found beside Rachel holding her as they were seeking shade under the brush says everything you need to know about him as a man and as a human being. I am proud to be his father and his kindness will live on in me and those who knew him best."

City News Service and Patch staffer Renee Schiavone contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock