WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It’s a crime that shocked the area, the torture and murder of a woman inside a Wilkes-Barre home. A home investigator describe as a “House of Horrors”.
Five suspects had preliminary hearings scheduled for Friday.
Desiree Linnette, Jason Race, William Wolfe, Faith Beamer, and Sarai Doyle are charged with the torture and murder of 38-year-old Nicole Cuevas.
Search warrant released in ‘House of Horrors’ investigation
Cuevas' body was found buried in the basement of a home at 142 Carlisle Street last February.
Investigators say an 8-year-old child who lived in the house witnessed the torture and murder and told a counselor who called the police.
State, local, and county detectives converged on the house and searched it for days.
The longtime owner of the home, 69-year-old Debra Fox, was also murdered. Her body was found in a wooded area of the North Cross Valley Expressway last March. No one has been charged in connection with her murder.
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce says this is one of the most violent crimes he’s ever seen.
“It’s truly frightening when you see. The public really doesn’t know the true extent of what went on in this case. But we’re talking about weeks of starvation and beatings and other torturous activity. We take every case very seriously. Certainly every homicide, but this ranks among one of the most horrific cases I think many of the prosecutors and police have seen.”
Police investigators describe it as a "House of Horrors", a place were a woman was tortured, murdered, and buried in the basement.
Detectives say a man was allegedly kidnapped and held captive in that same basement.
Friday five people charged in connection with those crimes were in court.
28/22 News I-team Reporter Andy Mehalshick is working the story.
The remains of 38-year-old Nicole Cuevas were found buried in the basement of 142 Carlisle Street, and the longtime owner of this house was also murdered. Her body was found in a wooded area.
No one has been charged in connection with her murder. People who live in this neighborhood just want this all to end.
"This ranks among one of the most horrific cases I think many of the prosecutors and police have seen," voiced Sam Sanguedolce, Luzerne County District Attorney.
The words of Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce regarding what he says took place inside 142 Carlisle Street.
The body of 38-year-old Nicole Cuevas was found last February buried in the basement. Investigators say she was tortured and murdered.
Five people were charged in connection with her murder. All five of them were supposed to have preliminary hearings on friday.
Three of them were brought to Luzerne County Courthouse, including Desiree Linnette, Jason Race, and William Wolfe.
Two other suspects, Sarai Doyle, who is Linnette's daughter, and Faith Beamer appeared by Zoom. All five waived the charges onto to Luzerne County Court for possible trial.
"It's truly frightening when you see the public really doesn't know the true extent of what went on in this case. We are taking about weeks of starvation and beatings and other torturous activity," explained Sanguedolce.
Detectives say an eight-year-old child helped lead police to this house. That child told a counselor that he witnessed the torture and killing of Cuevas, the counselor then called police.
Police spent days searching the home for evidence. As all of this was unfolding, the longtime owner of the home, 69-year-old Debra Fox went missing. Her body was found in March in a wooded area near the North Cross Valley Expressway in Wilkes-Barre.
No one has been charged with her murder. The D.A. says her death is connected to the "House of Horrors" investigation, and made this appeal to the public.
"As with every case, if you think you know any information at all no matter how slight, we'd ask you to contact the Wilkes-Barre Police Department because the public isn't aware of all the facts. You never know what piece of information could break this case wide open," added Sanguedolce.
And the "House of Horrors" has yet another dark chapter, a man says he was kidnapped and tortured in the same basement of this same Carlisle Street home. He eventually escaped.
Jason Race and Desiree Linnete are also charged with his kidnapping.
Bruce Williams lives across the street from the house. He says neighbors just want to have peace of mind. That can happen by solving the murder of his friend Debra Fox.
"I don't know what to tell you, but they need to solve it. Even like Debbie, they can't find her killer or whatever you know," said Williams.
Again, all of the murder suspects are headed to trial. If you have any information about the murder of Debra Fox, contact Wilkes-Barre Police. We will say on top of this story more in the days and weeks ahead.
