A father is behind bars in Kansas, where police found him living in a storage unit with his two young daughters and a cooler containing the dismembered remains of his wife, FOX 4 reports.
A law enforcement representative told PEOPLE that criminal charges have not yet been filed in the death of Jessica Monteiro Rey, the woman whose remains police discovered inside a cooler being carried around by her husband, Justin Rey.
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Police in Lenexa, Kansas responded to a complaint of someone living in a storage unit on Oct. 26 when they found Rey and his two daughters, a toddler and a newborn, just 5 days old.
FOX 4 spoke to a man who claims he had met Rey at a bar and agreed to give him a ride to a train station. He said that they stopped at the storage unit to pick up material he needed for the trip.
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The man, who FOX 4 kept anonymous, said he saw brown liquid leaking from Rey’s cooler. The man said police arrived just as they were about to leave the storage unit.
Officials say that Rey told them his wife died during childbirth in a Missouri motel. He has been charged with two counts each of endangering a child and contributing to a child’s misconduct. Police allege Rey did not have diapers or food for the two girls inside the storage unit.
Police say Rey changed his story on his wife’s death, first saying she died during childbirth and then saying she died by suicide after giving birth, according to The Kansas City Star.
Upon police’s arrival to the storage unit, Rey “spontaneously informed the officers his wife was inside the cooler and looked to the direction of a red and white Igloo-style cooler with wheels,” according to Jackson County Circuit Court records.
Rey is being held on $1 million bail. He has not entered pleas to the charges he faces, and it was unclear Tuesday if he has retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf. He is expected to appear in court for a hearing on Thursday.
Jessica’s sister, Sara Montiero, described Jessica as a happy and caring mom.
“Jessica didn’t see any negative in the world all her life, she just couldn’t see it,” Montiero told FOX 4. “She was always happy and friendly, no matter what. She was a great big sister; more like a mom and best friend. She was always loving and caring, and she knew what family meant.”
Photo Credit: Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
