Murrieta Dad's Killing: More Murder Charges Filed

MURRIETA, CA — More murder charges were filed Monday after a Murrieta father was found dead earlier this year in his apartment at the Arbors at California Oaks on Jackson Avenue.

Kenneth Maxwell, 39, of Midfield, Alabama, and Jerry Wheeler, 34, of Brookhaven, Georgia, allegedly joined the plot to kill 30-year-old Aaron Parr in January. Both men are charged with first-degree murder and special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and killing for financial gain.

Maxwell was arrested without incident on Wednesday near his home by FBI agents executing a warrant on behalf of the Murrieta Police Department. Wheeler was taken into custody the same day by local police, who executed the out-of-state warrant at his residence. The defendants are awaiting extradition to Riverside County.

The two arrests add to the number of people allegedly tied to Parr's killing. In early February, Ignacia Cadaos Perkins, 40, of Murrieta, and James Lawrence Petri, 43, of Birmingham, Alabama, were arrested in connection with his death.

Perkins and Petri are also charged with first-degree murder, special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and killing for financial gain. Petri is additionally charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

Perkins, who is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, was arraigned on Feb. 3 and is slated to appear for a felony settlement conference on April 23 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Petri is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center and is due for arraignment at the Murrieta courthouse on the day of Perkins' next hearing.

Prosecutors allege Parr's slaying was planned with sophistication and professionalism, and involved great violence and bodily harm. The investigation into the killing began shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, when Murrieta police responded to a call for service at The Arbors at California Oaks, 24375 Jackson Avenue.

It's unclear who called the police, but at the apartment complex, officers found Parr dead inside his unit.

Murrieta homicide detectives gathered evidence that eventually led them to Perkins and Petri. Both were arrested on Thursday, Jan. 29. Perkins was taken into custody in Murrieta, while Petri was arrested in Birmingham and extradited to Riverside County.

Perkins was Parr's ex-girlfriend, and Petri was an acquaintance of Perkins, according to police. Further details about the defendants' relationship were not disclosed.

How Maxwell and Wheeler were connected to the victim or the defendants was not disclosed.

According to an online obituary for Parr, he was the father of two young children. It's unclear what Perkins' relationship, if any, is to the youngsters.

"They were his whole world. Everything in his life revolved around them," the obituary reads. "If you stepped into his apartment, you would see it immediately: drawings and notes taped and featured on poster boards, toys scattered across the floor, small reminders everywhere of what mattered most to him. He gave every ounce of himself to being present, dependable, and loving, and his children always came first."

Funeral services for Parr were held on Saturday, Jan. 24, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mansfield, Ohio. During the service, family members choked up as they recalled their loved one.

"Aaron was a beloved son, brother, friend and father whose life was marked by quiet strength, steady perseverance, and a deep capacity for love," one said. "He will be missed."

Perkins has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. Background details on Petri, Maxwell and Wheeler were unavailable.

— City News Service provided updated court information for this report.