Murder for hire stories feel like something you see on television but not something that really happens in real life. Think about it. How would a person go about finding someone that would commit murder willingly, knowing they could be arrested and sent to prison? And who would risk getting caught as the solicitor of the crime? Well, you might be surprised. Ignacia Perkins, a woman living in California, allegedly hatched a murder for hire plot against her ex-boyfriend for an unknown reason.
But she didn’t just hire one person to carry out the alleged crime; she reportedly hired three. Now they’ve all been arrested in connection with the case.
A murder for hire wasn’t suspected immediately.
Officers from the Murrieta Police Department responded to a call at The Arbors at California Oaks apartments about 9:15 a.m. on January 13, 2026, a news release shared. When police officers got to the apartment, they found a dead man inside. “Based on preliminary information, the circumstances surrounding the death were investigated as a homicide,” it noted.
Two people were arrested in connection with the man’s death on January 29, 40-year-old Perkins, a former girlfriend of the victim, and her acquaintance, 43-year-old James Petri from Alabama, police announced in an update. Both were charged with murder, murder for financial or other consideration, and criminal conspiracy to commit murder.
Not much is known about the victim’s relationship with Perkins.
Although the victim wasn’t initially identified in the news release, he was later named as 30-year-old Aaron Parr, KTLA reported.
According to his obituary, Parr “was a beloved son, brother, friend and father whose life was marked by quiet strength, steady perseverance, and a deep capacity for love. He carried a mild demeanor and a quick, understated wit.” He left behind two children, Christopher and Diana Parr.
“Everything in his life revolved around them. If you stepped into his apartment, you would see it immediately: drawings and notes taped and featured on poster boards, toys scattered across the floor, small reminders everywhere of what mattered most to him. He gave every ounce of himself to being present, dependable, and loving, and his children always came first,” the obituary continued.
Two more people were recently arrested in connection with Parr’s death.
After arresting Perkins and Petri, Murrieta police officers “have continued to diligently examine a substantial volume of physical evidence, digital evidence, and investigative leads,” the department shared in an updated news release March 20. “Through persistent investigative efforts and coordination with partner agencies across the United States, detectives were able to identify and locate two additional accomplices involved in this homicide.”
Those two accomplices are 34-year-old Jerry Wheeler, who lives in Brookhaven, Georgia, and 39-year-old Kenneth Maxwell, from Midfield, Alabama. The Murrieta Police Department worked alongside the Brookhaven Police Department/North Metro SWAT and FBI Birmingham SWAT/Safe Streets to make their arrests on March 18.
Both Wheeler and Maxwell have been charged with murder, murder for financial or other consideration, and criminal conspiracy to commit murder. They will be extradited to California, the updated release noted.
Currently, the investigation into Parr’s death is still active, KTLA reported.
