Anza Valley Outlook staff
ANZA — A 40-year-old Hemet man has been charged with first-degree murder following the discovery of a woman’s body in a remote area of Anza on Oct. 23, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and court reporting.
Joseph Wayne Rainey, 40, pleaded not guilty Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta in connection with the death of Jessica Rodriguez, 43, also of Hemet.
The investigation began Oct. 23 at approximately 2:29 p.m., when deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of human remains near Bautista Canyon Road and Willis Road in the unincorporated community of Anza.
Deputies discovered the remains of an adult woman, prompting investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit to take over the case.
Initially, authorities were unable to identify the woman and requested the public’s assistance in locating anyone who had gone missing or had not been heard from since Oct. 9, particularly in the Hemet and Anza areas.
Investigators reported that the woman had been wearing a red shirt and purple pants when her remains were discovered.
An autopsy subsequently led investigators to determine that Rodriguez was the victim of a homicide, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Carlos Mendoza.
During the investigation, homicide detectives identified Rainey as a suspect.
On Oct. 29, investigators located Rainey in the 1400 block of State Street in Hemet and took him into custody without incident.
Detectives also executed a search warrant at Rainey’s residence, where they seized multiple items believed to be connected to the investigation. Authorities have not disclosed what was recovered.
Rainey was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of murder. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to City News Service.
Prosecutors subsequently filed a first-degree murder charge against Rainey. He entered a not guilty plea Nov. 3 and is scheduled to return to court Nov. 12 for a felony settlement conference.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed Rodriguez’s cause of death, a possible motive or whether she and Rainey knew each other before her death.
The discovery of Rodriguez’s remains in the rural Anza community prompted an investigation that led detectives to Hemet, where both the victim and suspect resided.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked members of the public for their assistance in the investigation.
The case remains active, and investigators are asking anyone with additional information to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Daniel DiMaggio at 951-955-2777.
Rainey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
