Killer in Visalia Home Invasion Murders Gets Life Sentence

By Bill McEwen, News Director

Published 3 years ago on

August 20, 2021

Reyes Garcia, 47, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday for a 2013 home invasion double murder in Visalia, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

On the morning of July 12, 2013, a caretaker found Jerry Murillo, 58, and Marie Rogers, 59, dead with their throats slit at their ransacked residence.

Reyes Garcia (Tulare County District Attorney’s Office)

Investigators, with the aid of surveillance video from nearby homes, quickly identified Garcia and Adrian Castillon as suspects. The following day, police arrested Garcia and Castillon on a Visalia bus after witnesses saw them board with bags.

Further investigation revealed that the men spent the night in Hanford and disposed of bloody clothes in a motel dumpster, according to court records.

Reyes is a career criminal and a registered sex offender. He pleaded guilty to the murders in January of this year.

Castillon Gets Life Sentence in 2015

Castillon admitted his role in the murders and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in September 2015.

Two women who assisted Reyes and Castillon during and after the murders received lengthy prison sentences.

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Bill McEwen,

News Director

Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email