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“American Nightmare”: Mom Who Married Man She Met Online Found Lifeless At Their Home
A Scottish woman’s marriage to an American man she met on social media ended in a heartbreaking tragedy.
In early 2024, 37-year-old June Bunyan moved from Scotland to California to marry 25-year-old Jonathan Renteria.
On September 11, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office discovered June’s dismembered remains in the couple’s shared Los Feliz apartment.
Highlights
- June Bunyan, a 37-year-old Scottish woman, tragically lost her life at the hands of her husband Jonathan Renteria in their Los Angeles apartment.
- The couple’s infant daughter was found unharmed, while June’s remains were discovered mutilated and decomposed.
- A GoFundMe was launched by a family friend to cover the costs of repatriation, funeral, and related expenses to bring June back to the UK.
- “I didn’t fight hard enough to get her the help she needed,” said the couple’s neighbor and Bunyan’s friend.
“Sadly, it is still true that the most dangerous people in women’s lives are their intimate male partners,” wrote one social media user.
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June Bunyan had traveled over 5,000 miles to marry Jonathan Renteria after connecting with him on social media
Image credits: gofundme
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of s**cide, domestic violence, and details involving human remains.
Authorities first arrived at the Ventura County hotel after receiving calls from management about an attempted s**cide.
They encountered Jonathan, who had tried to take his own life, and transported him to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
During the investigation, deputies found a handwritten note from Renteria in which he allegedly confessed to the homicide of his wife.
Image credits: gofundme
The County Sheriff’s Office then notified the Los Angeles Police Department, which conducted a welfare check to ensure Bunyan’s well-being.
However, the message in the note proved true, as the 37-year-old had already passed away when officers arrived at the couple’s home.
Jonathan allegedly confessed to the homicide of his Scottish wife in a handwritten note discovered by police authorities
Image credits: KTLA 5 / YouTube
June and Renteria had married in a private ceremony shortly after her arrival in Los Angeles.
Earlier this year, they had also welcomed a baby girl together.
According to LAPD officials, Bunyan’s remains were heavily decomposed by the time of the welfare check, and she had likely passed away about a week prior.
In the apartment, the infant was found unharmed.
Image credits: KTLA 5 / YouTube
The victim’s mutilated body was removed from the apartment in “multiple body bags.”
One of the couple’s neighbors, Arielle Miller, told KTLA, “I saw her being carried out in multiple body bags.”
“The first body bag that came down … I said that’s not all of her. And then came another bag and that’s when I knew that she was not in one piece.”
June was dismembered, and her body was left in the couple’s shared apartment to decompose, along with their unharmed infant daughter
Image credits: KTLA 5 / YouTube
The deceased Bunyan had dreamed of becoming an attorney in America to support vulnerable people, and she moved to Los Angeles to pursue law studies, apart from marrying Jonathan, whom she met on X.
The County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy and revealed the cause of d**th to be traumatic neck injuries.
According to Miller, who described June as her “beloved friend,” Jonathan became aggressive and “nasty” after the birth of the couple’s daughter.
Image credits: KTLA 5 / YouTube
He began making cruel remarks about her weight gain during pregnancy and her postpartum body.
“She didn’t deserve the way that she was disrespected… She was trying to leave, and that’s when he ki**ed her… I didn’t fight hard enough for her to get the help that she needed.”
Shortly before passing away, Bunyan confided in a neighbor friend, expressing her decision to “leave” Jonathan
Image credits: renteriaparalegalservices
Image credits: KTLA 5 / YouTube
Miller and June used to share text messages, in which June had expressed her marital concerns.
One of her messages read, “The further I go into this marriage, the less I feel I can depend on him. I’ve never seen him so nasty before.”
One of June’s friends from Scotland, Vicky, set up a GoFundMe to help her family fly her remains back to her native country.
Image credits: most271k / X
The post was titled, “Help Bring June Bunyan Home.”
Vicky wrote on behalf of June’s parents, Jill and Lyle Bunyan, in the description of the post, “June Bunyan, was tragically taken from us due to a violent crime in the United States. Our lives are forever changed…”
Image credits: gofundme
“June’s life was cut short so far from home, and we are now faced with the heartbreaking task of bringing her back to the UK. She can then be laid to rest with the dignity and love she deserves, surrounded by family and friends.”
Renteria attempted to take his own life but was saved by authorities and is currently in custody on $4 million bail
Image credits: gofundme
The goal is to raise £18,000 (approximately $21,000). So far, almost £16,000 has been raised.
According to the GoFundMe description, the donation money will be used to “cover the costs of repatriation to the UK, funeral and burial expenses, and any legal or travel costs.”
As the West Bureau Homicide Unit continues to investigate, Jonathan has been held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles.
His bail has been set at $4 million, and he is scheduled to appear in court for his hearing on November 18.
He is being charged with the homicide of his wife and the mutilation of her body, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
If found guilty, Jonathan could face the d**th penalty or life imprisonment without parole under California law.
“She came for the American dream and stayed for the American nightmare,” commented one netizen
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FreeTheUnicorn 2 months ago
Poll is ridiculous. The thing that can help people from becoming victims of a***e is self worth. Stop socialising kids, especially girls, to think their value comes from a relationship. Abusers exploit self doubt and that little voice that says you deserve this. If it's from unfair parents who reinforced this or just from the loving in the world, the way we are failing our daughters is by solacialisjng them to be peacekeepers, to always try and diffuse a situation, to always frame the situation in what could I do better and not to leave a situation where they are t getting what they need. Encouraging thinking, get the best man you can, and not that a romantic relationship isn't supposed to be work. If it's not making your life better, your life is better without it. Leave at the first red flag. Leave at a bunch of caution signs. The way we stop domestic a***e is by ensuring people aren't ready to be victims. self worth is difficult to foster, harder to keep, but that's the antidote.
Beth Wheeler 2 months ago
That poor lady. Who has her baby now, somebody in his family or DSS? I might have missed it other than the baby was found safe.
Shelley Colleen 2 months ago (edited)
I think most folks who live outside the US really have no idea what it's like to exist in our giant, traumatized, size-of-fŭkking-EUROPE country, even in California! EVERYWHERE else has national healthcare, including psych care. We just dwell here, either resigning ourselves to lifetime debt if we get help, or possibly dying if we don't get help. We take Ubers instead of ambulances to save money. This woman grew up in a lovely but small country and this mentally unstable dude convinced her to come here somehow? (Law school is WAY more affordable in Scotland than it is here. Students from here move there for school to not live with debt forever.) This story is so damned sad!
FreeTheUnicorn 2 months ago
Poll is ridiculous. The thing that can help people from becoming victims of a***e is self worth. Stop socialising kids, especially girls, to think their value comes from a relationship. Abusers exploit self doubt and that little voice that says you deserve this. If it's from unfair parents who reinforced this or just from the loving in the world, the way we are failing our daughters is by solacialisjng them to be peacekeepers, to always try and diffuse a situation, to always frame the situation in what could I do better and not to leave a situation where they are t getting what they need. Encouraging thinking, get the best man you can, and not that a romantic relationship isn't supposed to be work. If it's not making your life better, your life is better without it. Leave at the first red flag. Leave at a bunch of caution signs. The way we stop domestic a***e is by ensuring people aren't ready to be victims. self worth is difficult to foster, harder to keep, but that's the antidote.
Beth Wheeler 2 months ago
That poor lady. Who has her baby now, somebody in his family or DSS? I might have missed it other than the baby was found safe.
Shelley Colleen 2 months ago (edited)
I think most folks who live outside the US really have no idea what it's like to exist in our giant, traumatized, size-of-fŭkking-EUROPE country, even in California! EVERYWHERE else has national healthcare, including psych care. We just dwell here, either resigning ourselves to lifetime debt if we get help, or possibly dying if we don't get help. We take Ubers instead of ambulances to save money. This woman grew up in a lovely but small country and this mentally unstable dude convinced her to come here somehow? (Law school is WAY more affordable in Scotland than it is here. Students from here move there for school to not live with debt forever.) This story is so damned sad!
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