On February 14, 2000, 56-year-old Santiago Perez was shot and killed while sleeping in his home in Pixley, California. The assailant entered the residence during the early morning hours and shot Perez in his bed; four minor children were present in the home at the time. The killing went unsolved for years.

In 2013 Jose Manuel Martinez, identified as a contract killer, was arrested in Alabama for an unrelated homicide. During interrogation he confessed to 36 killings across at least 12 states and named Santiago Perez among his victims, saying many of the murders were tied to debts owed to Mexican drug cartels. Martinez was extradited to California, pleaded guilty to nine counts of murder including Perez’s, and was sentenced to life without parole. The family of Santiago Perez was reported to have received closure after the conviction.

Are there any readers who remember the Pixley community in 2000 or who might have had contact with the Perez family then and can share information that could add context to what happened?