Multi-state arrests made in alleged California murder-for-hire case
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What started as a gruesome discovery in a Southern California apartment has turned into a coast-to-coast case — one that a Murrieta police officer says is “unusual” for their community; investigators allege a murder-for-hire plot linked to a victim’s ex-girlfriend and three other suspects.
Officers from the Murrieta Police Department were called to The Arbors at California Oaks apartments just after 9 a.m. on January 13, 2026. They found a dead man in one of the units. Investigators treated the incident as a homicide from the beginning.
The victim was later identified by his family as 30-year-old Aaron “AJ” Parr; This was a son, brother, and father whose loss had shaken those he loved.
A little more than two weeks later, police arrested the victim’s ex-girlfriend, Ignacia Perkins, and James Petri, whom authorities identified as an acquaintance of Perkins.
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But the case quickly spread beyond California.
As detectives investigated physical and digital evidence, they began working with law enforcement agencies across the country and ultimately identified two additional suspects believed to be involved.
On March 18, authorities arrested 34-year-old Jerry Wheeler in Brookhaven, Georgia, and 39-year-old Kenneth Maxwell in Midfield, Alabama. Both men are currently awaiting extradition to California.
Police said the case centers on a murder allegedly committed for financial gain, as well as a wider conspiracy to carry it out.
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Authorities in Murrieta are investigating a murder-for-hire plot they describe as an unusual case for the area. (Murrieta Police Department Facebook)
Wheeler and Maxwell each face charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder and a special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed for financial gain, police said.
The arrests were made with the assistance of multiple agencies, including Brookhaven Police and North Metro SWAT in Georgia, as well as FBI teams in Alabama.
Murrieta is generally considered a relatively safe city, with a crime rate 2.2 times lower than the national average. According to City-Data.
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Aaron “AJ” Parr, the victim of a Murrieta, California murder linked to a murder-for-hire plot, is seen in an undated photo. (Lexi Parr’s Facebook)
For Parr’s family, the arrests brought a complex mix of pain and relief.
“The world kept moving, but ours stopped the day we lost you,” a woman who identified herself as Parr’s sister wrote in a social media post weeks after his death. “Not a moment goes by that you are not in our thoughts, our tears and our prayers.”
Although the pain remains, he said the arrests provide “a small sense of relief” as the case progresses.
“There’s no celebration in this because nothing will bring you back,” he wrote.
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At a fundraiser for the family, Parr was described as a beloved son and brother and his parents were said to be “salt-of-the-earth people” who spent their lives serving others. The funds are intended to help cover funeral expenses and other unexpected expenses following your death.
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Authorities say the latest arrests mark a significant turning point in the case, effectively wrapping up the active phase of the investigation as detectives shift their focus to preparing for a possible trial.
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Investigators did not elaborate on how the alleged conspiracy came to be or the specific roles each suspect may have played, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
Stepheny Price covers crimes including missing persons, murders and immigration crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
