Law Enforcement and Courts

Skagit County authorities in Washington state have charged 42-year-old Juan Manuel Delgado Jr. with second-degree murder after the remains of 37-year-old Krista Joy Hunt, reported missing Feb. 1, were found in the Skagit River on March 12 near Concrete. Investigators say Delgado, described by officials as having been in a relationship with Hunt, was already jailed on unrelated counts of possessing an explosive device, unlawful firearm possession and DUI when deputies submitted murder charging paperwork to prosecutors on March 19. The county coroner has not finalized Hunt’s cause and manner of death but has documented serious injuries, including a broken neck, jaw and ribs, while Hunt’s mother told local TV and in a GoFundMe post that weeks earlier her daughter arrived at the hospital covered in bruises with a broken leg and signs of strangulation, alleging Delgado once "set a timer" to beat her every 15 minutes. Detectives reportedly found clumps of hair and blood believed connected to Hunt in Delgado’s truck, and the case remains under active investigation as a suspected domestic-violence homicide. The killing underscores how repeat, escalating abuse can culminate in homicide and raises questions about earlier intervention, something victim advocates are already highlighting online as more details emerge.