Over two years after Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, an illegal alien living in Dadeville, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and double murder, the case has seen little movement.
Pascual-Reyes, who is in the country illegally, was arrested on Aug. 2, 2022, after authorities were alerted about a 12-year-old girl reportedly escaping from his residence.
SEE: Gruesome details emerge in kidnapping, murder in Tallapoosa County
See Also: Dadeville double-murder, kidnapping suspect admits to murders, court documents say
According to court documents, a 12-year-old girl was drugged and tied to a bedpost for over a week. At some point, she was able to chew her way through her restraints and was later found by a motorist who called the police.
Upon investigating Reyes' residence, police discovered two dismembered, decomposing bodies.
The first body was identified as Sandra Vasquez Ceja. The second body, a juvenile boy, was only identified as "AOGV." Pascual-Reyes and Ceja lived together as boyfriend and girlfriend. The escaped girl and AOGV are Ceja's children.
Both AOGV and Ceja were killed and dismembered on July 24. Ceja was "smothered by a pillow," and AOGV was "bludgeoned with hands or feet."
Court records show a series of continuances, canceled hearings and changes of legal counsel for both the state and Pascual-Reyes since his indictment. However, court records do not indicate that a trial has even commenced, let alone jury selection or any other trappings of criminal proceedings. The attorney general’s office, which is handling the prosecution, could not be reached for comment.
Pascual-Reyes initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. However, after the state requested a mental evaluation, Pascual-Reyes officially rescinded his original plea and entered a standard plea of not guilty in November 2023. This came after the state officially stated it would seek the death penalty for Pascual-Reyes.
Since then, a series of changes in defense attorneys and state prosecutors have led to little progress in the case. Most recently, the Tallapoosa Circuit Court approved yet another continuance for a status hearing, scheduling it for December 17.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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