An army veteran named Brenda Gillett, aged 56, was killed and dismembered by her tenant, Robert Watkins, at her Chula Vista property. The two did not have a good relationship, with Gillett often confronting Watkins over hosting too many guests and covering security cameras. The murder took place on May 31 at 2 a.m. when Gillett contacted the police to report “ongoing problems with the tenant.”

However, the authorities told the army veteran that they could not help with the eviction process. That was the last anyone would hear from the San Diego native Gillett. The following afternoon, the army veteran’s sister got concerned and reported her missing. According to NBC San Diego, Wendy Bonifacio recalled calling the police. “I got this weird, heavy, uncomfortable feeling and said, ‘There’s something going on here’,” the sister revealed. “I know she would do that for me.”

Police officers arrived at Gillett’s rental home to perform a welfare check, but the owner of the house was nowhere to be seen. “They couldn’t find my sister,” Bonifacio revealed. “They couldn’t find anybody.… Then they came to learn that there was what appeared to be a very brutal fight and the suspect had confessed about killing her.” Police found what was described as “blood-soaked pieces of evidence” from around the house.

However, Gillett’s body was nowhere to be found, and the tenant refused to reveal where he had hidden the body. However, according to Gillett’s sister, a passerby at Paseo del Rey Park discovered the remains dumped in a suitcase. “I guess somebody with a dog had seen something that didn’t look right, and, I guess, apparently opened the suitcase, and they realized there was what could have been possible remains in it,” Bonifacio revealed. “Other than that, I don’t know anything else right now. We’re still waiting, and we’re just trying to focus on who she is.”

Police officers found scratch marks on Robert Watkins’ and blood stains on his shoes. Since then, Watkins has been arrested and is being charged with first-degree murder. Court documents revealed that Gillett was last seen on a ring camera at 3 a.m. entering Watkins’ house. Following that, the tenant beat Gillett with a hammer, killing her and dismembering her body. Despite Watkins’ refusal to reveal the location of the body, authorities eventually discovered the remains at Paseo del Rey Park and near the USS Midway.

The case is eerily similar to the D4vd murder of his girlfriend, where the popular singer killed and dismembered his partner, stuffing the remains in the trunk of a car. Gillett’s sister has revealed that their “elderly” mother can’t come to terms with Gillett’s death and is “expecting [her] to walk through the door.” According to Bonifacio, the mother keeps inquiring when Gillett will return home. ” I have to try to remind her of the pain — that she’s not going to be coming back the way she expected,” Bonifacio revealed.