Husband faces mutilation, murder charges after Scottish woman slain in Los Angeles

A Scottish woman who moved to the U.S. to become a defense lawyer was killed in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, earlier this month, and her husband is now facing murder and mutilation charges in her death, according to officials and media reports.

The body of 37-year-old June Bunyan, also known as June Renteria, was found Sept. 11 at her apartment on Franklin Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Officials said her cause of death was traumatic neck injuries and ruled the case a homicide.

Police later arrested her husband, 25-year-old Jonathan Renteria, in Ventura County. He was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles on $4 million bail.

The BBC reported that Renteria has also been charged with mutilation and sexual contact with human remains.

According to friends, the married couple recently had a baby together.

“He was not good to her, he was not kind to her, and she did everything for him,” Bunyan’s friend and neighbor told KTLA’s Erin Myers. “She is a victim of a horrible cycle of domestic abuse, and now the baby will grow up not only without her mother, but also without her father.”

Bunyan’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to bring her remains back to the United Kingdom.

Bunyan, originally from the Isle of Arran in Scotland, earned a law degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. She had established Renteria Paralegal Services in 2024, specializing in immigration law, and was preparing to take the California bar exam.

“June was known for her vibrant personality, infectious laugh, and deeply compassionate heart,” her family wrote on the GoFundMe page created to help cover repatriation, funeral and burial expenses. “Driven by courage and determination, June moved to America to sit the bar exam and pursue her dream of becoming a defense attorney. She worked tirelessly to build herself a better life.”

The fundraising campaign, organized by Bunyan’s best friend on behalf of her mother and brother, had raised more than £10,000 as of this week, according to the BBC.

Bunyan’s family said her “proudest achievement” was earning her law degree and that she should be laid to rest “with the dignity and love she deserves, surrounded by family and friends.”

The U.K. Foreign Office told the BBC it is supporting Bunyan’s family and is in contact with authorities in Los Angeles.

Anyone wishing to donate can visit the GoFundMe page.

Alexis Lewis and Erin Myers contributed to this report.