A man who was charged with murdering his British wife in Los Angeles allegedly killed her after he complained she failed to lose her baby weight.
June Bunyan, from the Isle of Arran, had travelled to the US to pursue her dream of becoming a defence attorney.
The 37-year-old was killed at her home in LA where she is understood to have started her own firm, Renteria Paralegal Services, specialising in immigration law, last year.
According to local media she died on September 11 after she sustained ‘traumatic neck injuries’.
Her husband, a 25-year-old man named Jonathan Anthony Renteria, has since been arrested in connection with her murder and is being held at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
The accused, whose bail has been set at £2.9million ($4million), is facing one charge of murder and a second charge of breaching the California Health and Safety Code for all or either ‘mutilation, disinterment, sexual contact with human remains.’
Prosecutors said that he claimed in an interview that he and June had been having an argument over her ‘failure to lose weight following her pregnancy’.
They said that she began packing her bags and told him she would never let him see his daughter again.
June Bunyan (pictured) moved to the US to start her own legal firm
According to local media, he admitted to ‘putting the victim in a rear-naked chokehold’ before killing her.
Local reports said that June was last seen alive on September 4, with Jonathan being seen leaving with the baby in the middle of the night the following day.
Hours later, he was seen holding garbage bags. Prosecutors said he dropped their child off at his parents’ home, and accused him of dismembering his wife’s remains.
Neighbours told local media that June had confessed to being in an abusive relationship.
Arielle Miller, who lived in the same building as June, said: ‘He didn’t want her to talk to certain people. He was verbally abusive.
‘Something in particular he would always comment on was her body and her weight.’
‘The way that she died, the suffering she must’ve experienced, the fear, the violence, the pain – all of that – it’s the stuff that keeps me up at night,’ Miller added.
June’s family is now appealing for help to bring the body of their ‘beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend’ back to Scotland.
June graduated with a law degree from Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University
Her best friend Vicky Tulika has set up a GoFundMe page on their behalf, entitled Help Bring June Bunyan Home, which as of yesterday had collected more than £7,000.
She said it was with ‘unimaginable heartache’ that she announced Ms Bunyan’s death, adding their ‘lives are forever changed’ after the former Robert Gordon University student was ‘tragically taken from us due to a violent crime in the United States’.
Paying tribute to her friend, she wrote: ‘June was known for her vibrant personality, infectious laugh, and deeply compassionate heart.
‘Exceptionally accomplished, she held multiple degrees, but her proudest achievement was earning her law degree.
‘Driven by courage and determination, June moved to America to sit the bar exam and pursue her dream of becoming a defence attorney. She worked tirelessly to build herself a better life.’
But she said Ms Bunyan’s life was ‘cut short so far from home’, adding ‘we are now faced with the heartbreaking task of bringing her back to the UK. She can then be laid to rest with the dignity and love she deserves, surrounded by family and friends.’
The page states that any money raised will cover the ‘costs of repatriation to the UK, funeral and burial expenses, and any legal or travel costs associated with this tragedy’ that will ‘help ease this burden during a time of profound grief’.
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