Man admits 2 old,
unsolved murders
Sac Bee excloo
YUBA CITY 8/9/02 (YSN) - A 34-year-old man surrendered to Nogales, Ariz. police claiming he killed two people in Sutter County 15 years ago, authorities reported Friday.
Daniel Hernandez Castillo reportedly walked into police headquarters on Monday and confessed to bludgeoning a man and a woman on a Live Oak ranch in 1987, Sutter County Deputy District Attorney Brian Aronson said.
Castillo reportedly said that, since all of his own family was now dead, it was time to clear his conscience, Aronson recounted.
"With no implication he was responsible for the deaths of his family members," Aronson added.
Castillo has been charged with two open counts of premeditated murder and a superior court judge has issued an arrest warrant for him. He has reportedly waived extradition and is expected to return sometime next week, Aronson said.
Castillo is suspected of killing Margaret Lorraine Still, 23, of Oregon and Gabriel Sanchez Ramos, 19, of California.
Their battered bodies were found in an out-building on a Pennington Road ranch Dec. 4, 1987, said Sutter County Sheriff Jim Denney, whose office investigated the crime.
"They were farm workers following the harvests. We don't know of any relationship between them and Castillo," Denney said.
Castillo was in the area at the time. Deputies questioned about the deaths, but was not considered suspect, Denney said.
In 1988, Castillo was convicted of robbing a Live Oak convenience and was placed on probation, but soon disappeared. His whereabouts since then were unknown.
"Just because he's confessed, doesn't mean he's guilty. We have to have something to corroborate his confession," Aronson cautioned.
Still, "it's not often you get something handed to you like this. It's a first for me," said Aronson, who has been a Sutter County prosecutor for 13 years.
unsolved murders
Sac Bee excloo
YUBA CITY 8/9/02 (YSN) - A 34-year-old man surrendered to Nogales, Ariz. police claiming he killed two people in Sutter County 15 years ago, authorities reported Friday.
Daniel Hernandez Castillo reportedly walked into police headquarters on Monday and confessed to bludgeoning a man and a woman on a Live Oak ranch in 1987, Sutter County Deputy District Attorney Brian Aronson said.
Castillo reportedly said that, since all of his own family was now dead, it was time to clear his conscience, Aronson recounted.
"With no implication he was responsible for the deaths of his family members," Aronson added.
Castillo has been charged with two open counts of premeditated murder and a superior court judge has issued an arrest warrant for him. He has reportedly waived extradition and is expected to return sometime next week, Aronson said.
Castillo is suspected of killing Margaret Lorraine Still, 23, of Oregon and Gabriel Sanchez Ramos, 19, of California.
Their battered bodies were found in an out-building on a Pennington Road ranch Dec. 4, 1987, said Sutter County Sheriff Jim Denney, whose office investigated the crime.
"They were farm workers following the harvests. We don't know of any relationship between them and Castillo," Denney said.
Castillo was in the area at the time. Deputies questioned about the deaths, but was not considered suspect, Denney said.
In 1988, Castillo was convicted of robbing a Live Oak convenience and was placed on probation, but soon disappeared. His whereabouts since then were unknown.
"Just because he's confessed, doesn't mean he's guilty. We have to have something to corroborate his confession," Aronson cautioned.
Still, "it's not often you get something handed to you like this. It's a first for me," said Aronson, who has been a Sutter County prosecutor for 13 years.
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