Defiant Contreras Perez gets life without parole

Calling police investigators and prosecutors “crooked rats” who violated his rights, an emotional Jesus Contreras Perez on Monday said he did not kill Cassandra Ayon of Loyal in October 2020 and that he will appeal his June conviction on a first-degree intentional homicide charge. He’ll have to deal with that appeal from a state prison cell, as the judge in the case a short while later sentenced him to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

Contreras Perez, 42, of Mosinee, was in Clark County Circuit Court Monday morning for his sentencing hearing on convictions for first-degree intentional homicide-domestic abuse/as party to a crime, hiding a corpse/as party to a crime, and stalking-domestic abuse. A Clark County jury convicted him on all three felony counts after a week-long trial in early June, and Jackson County Judge Daniel Diehn set the sentencing for Monday.

Given the chance to address the court before sentencing, Contreras Perez said he is innocent of the charges and vowed to his young son that he will one day prove it and be free.

Contreras Perez was a suspect early in the investigation after Ayon’s family informed police in early October 2020 that she was missing. She was last seen at 3:45 a.m. on Oct. 3, 2020, as she was leaving a friend’s house in Unity, and she did not show up for work at Marathon Cheese the following day. Neither her remains nor her vehicle have been found.

When investigators first sought to speak with Contreras Perez in the days following Ayon’s disappearance, they found he had traveled to Minnesota and Iowa. They spoke with him after he returned to the area. Investigators first charged Contreras Perez with stalking, and the homicide charge was filed in June 2021.

Contreras Perez said Monday he was unfairly identified as the only suspect early in the investigation.

“They came after me like thirsty dogs looking for blood,” he said in court. “They had the target on my back the whole time.”

Contreras Perez and Ayon had been in a lengthy relationship, and had a son together. They broke up shortly before Ayon disappeared, and her friends told investigators that Ayon spoke repeatedly about threats he made against her and that he had been stalking her. Prosecutors in the homicide trial pieced together cell phone and other evidence showing how Contreras Perez had followed her on multiple occasions, including the night she disappeared.

Contreras Perez apologized to Ayon’s family on Monday, and said he wanted to help in the investigation, but could not because he was a suspect in the case.

“I wanna say that I’m sorry for Cassandra’s family. I’m sorry for all the things they’ve been going through,” he said. “I apologize for not being able to help since Day 1 ... I wish I could’ve done something more to help, but that’s impossible.” Any hope that Contreras Perez would reveal the location of Ayon’s remains during the sentencing hearing were quickly dashed when his attorney, Claire Longdin, said the court battle is not over. “I can’t really give any closure today because Mr. Contreras Perez plans to appeal,” Longdin said. Longdin said she would not make any arguments about the seriousness of the charges against her client, but added that she cannot speak to the manner in which Ayon may have died because that is not known.

“It’s difficult for me to say what happened because we didn’t receive that information at trial,” Longdin said. “We don’t really have any answers as to the gravity of what transpired.” Longdin asked Diehn to set a parole eligibility date for Contreras Perez rather than hand down a certain life imprisonment sentence. She said Contreras Perez contributed to the upbringing of his son, and had held a steady job for 20 years. She also suggested the court take into account that he was the victim of an abusive father. Finally, Longdin said some good could come out of the situation if Contreras Perez is allowed to one day be with his family again after serving his sentence.

“I think there should come a time when the court should allow parole to be considered,” she said. “What can make things better is an ability to sit and think and to give somebody the thought that they do not need to be considered a monster for life, that everybody is redeemable.”

Assistant Attorney General Annie Jay, who prosecuted the case with Clark County District Attorney Melissa Inlow, had a much different take on that topic. She asked the court to impose a life sentence with no chance for parole, based on the “cruelty” of the murder and hiding of the remains as well as Contreras Perez’s history of abusing women.

By reading through the social media posts Ayon made while she was alive, Jay said she got a view of the kind of person Ayon was. A devoted mother and selfless friend she was, Jay said, before Contreras Perez selfishly stalked her and killed her.

“The picture that came in so clearly was of a really happy person,” Jay said. “In 27 years, she did nothing but bring light to other people.”

As an example of what she did for others, Jay said the last photo Ayon ever saved on her Instagram account was one of a batch of doughnuts she had bought to bring to her co-workers.

Jay said Contreras Perez took all of that away because he could not stand to see Ayon with other men. It’s why, she said, Contreras Perez was searching for internet information on homemade gun silencers shortly before Ayon’s disappearance.

“This was a well-organized, targeted offense against the mother of his child, against a 27-year-old woman who had the audacity of wanting a night out,” Jay said.

Jay noted that Contreras Perez has a history of abusing women, including his ex-wife, who had a restraining order against him.

“He has terrible character,” Jay said. “He’s in his 40s and he’s done almost nothing but make women’s lives miserable ... No woman would ever be safe from the defendant. He’s done nothing but violate these women. He feels like he’s the victim. His character is depraved. There’s no insight.”

Compounding the cruelty of this case, Jay said Contreras Perez’ refusal to admit guilt and say where Ayon’s remains are hidden is especially torturous for her family.

“Cassandra’s family has no grave to visit,” she said. “There is no grave. There is no marker. They don’t know where she is. They have no location to go to to mourn.” Furthermore, as evidenced by the “as party to a crime” aspect to the homicide charge against Contreras Perez, he likely had help with either the killing and/ or disposal of the remains and vehicle. “They (Ayon’s family) don’t know what happened. They don’t know who else is involved and that must be terrifying,” Jay said. “They don’t know who else is out there keeping an eye on them.”

Jay also asked the court to consider what Ayon must have suffered through on Oct. 3, 2020.

“She had to know what was going to happen when she saw him that night,” Jay said. “If not this crime, what crime would possibly warrant life imprisonment? It has to end now.”

Diehn said the main consideration for the court in this case is whether or not a possible parole date would be set for Contreras Perez. State statutes mandate a life imprisonment sentence for a first-degree intentional homicide conviction, but a judge in a case can allow for the possibility of eventual release.

Diehn said Contreras Perez seems to have strong family support and a good work history. Those would be factors in his favor for possible parole, but “those are largely dwarfed by some other things” of relevance.

For one, Diehn said evidence presented at trial showed Contreras Perez repeatedly stalked Ayon. Witnesses told of Ayon telling them of threats Contreras Perez made to her “including that he would kill her and they would never find her,” Diehn said.

The stalking and the act of homicide and the compounding factor of hiding the remains is also weighty, Diehn said.

“This type of offense is the most serious offense that one can contemplate,” the judge said. “It’s hard to imagine ... anything that could be more serious or grave ... I’m confident that this was a carefully thought-out, planned, pre-meditated event.”

Finally, Diehn said before declaring that Contreras Perez will not be eligible for parole, his demeanor at trial and even at Monday’s sentencing is not in his favor.

“Frankly, the court has not seen any sign whatsoever of remorse or cooperativeness,” Diehn said. “Not only does Mr. Contreras Perez not have any remorse for his action, he’s actively blaming others, seeing himself as the victim, basically claiming he’s being persecuted in this matter.” In his pre-sentence statement, Contreras Perez said he has been wrongfully prosecuted and that he will continue court action to prove his innocence. His conviction and life sentence will not solve the case, he said. “I want them (Ayon’s family) to know I did not have anything to do with none of this,” he said. “By these people committing me for something I didn’t do is not gonna give them any closure.”

He also made a personal appeal to his son, who was not in the courtroom.

“I know you can’t hear me, but wherever you are,” Contreras Perz said, “I didn’t abandon you. I didn’t walk away from you. I think about you all day long. I haven’t forgotten you. I love you with all my heart and I didn’t abandon you. I got put here by a bunch of corrupt rats from Clark County and the DOJ (Department of Justice).

“I promise I will come back. The fight is not over,” Contreras Perez continued. “I just want everybody to know I’m innocent. I didn’t commit no crime. From day one, from Oct. 9, 2020, these corrupt rats, they’ve been violating my rights. Since I’ve been here (in custody), I’ve been psychologically and mentally tortured. I’ve been in isolation for over six months.”

Contreras Perez accused investigators of “sloppy work” and a “cover up” to hide it.

“I will prove it when the time comes,” Contreras Perez said. “I hope some day someone will have the courage to expose all the corrupt rats in this county.”

In addition to the life imprisonment sentence on the homicide count, Diehn sentenced Contreras Perez to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision on the corpse hiding count and four years in prison and four years of extended supervision on the stalking charge.

“Cassandra’s family has no grave to visit. There is no grave. There is no marker. They don’t know where she is. They have no location to go to to mourn.” -- Prosecutor Annie Jay “Frankly, the court has not seen any sign whatsoever of remorse or cooperativeness. Not only does Mr. Contreras Perez not have any remorse for his action, he’s actively blaming others, seeing himself as the victim, basically claiming he’s being persecuted in this matter.”

-- Judge Daniel Diehn

Cassandra Ayon