Editor’s note: This article has been updated to add the latest information on the victim’s daughter.

Neighbors of June Bunyan are mourning the loss of their friend and the horrifying way she died, describing a tragedy that has shaken their tight-knit Los Feliz apartment community.

Bunyan, 37, was found dead inside her Franklin Avenue apartment earlier this month, and her husband, 25-year-old Jonathan Renteria, has been arrested and charged with her murder and the mutilation of her body, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Bunyan’s cause of death was traumatic neck injuries, the County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

Residents who knew Bunyan shared with KTLA the shock and anguish they felt as the grim details emerged. Neighbor Arielle Miller said she saw investigators remove Bunyan’s remains in multiple body bags. 

“I saw her being carried out in multiple body bags,” Miller recalled. “The first body bag that came down … I said that’s not all of her. And then came another bag and that’s when I knew that she was not in one piece.”

Miller described Bunyan as a beloved friend who “didn’t deserve the way that she was disrespected” and “deserves dignity in death.” She said Bunyan had confided that she was deeply unhappy in her marriage and was allegedly preparing to leave Renteria. 

“She was trying to leave, and that’s when he killed her,” Miller told KTLA. She also claimed that Bunyan had sent messages saying: “The further I go into this marriage, the less I feel I can depend on him. I’ve never seen him so nasty before.”

According to Miller, Bunyan met Renteria on Twitter and moved to Los Angeles from Scotland to pursue law studies and be with him. The two married soon after she arrived and recently welcomed a baby girl. Miller said that during Bunyan’s pregnancy, Renteria made a comment implying she would no longer be his “muscle mama” because she would gain weight.

About two weeks before Bunyan’s body was discovered, deputies in Ventura County responded to a 911 call at a hotel where Renteria allegedly attempted suicide. Sources told KTLA he left a note saying he had killed his wife, prompting a welfare check by Los Angeles police. Neighbors said they had already noticed a foul odor coming from the apartment. “It was very strong even after the body had been removed,” Miller said, adding that flies filled the hallway.

Bunyan, originally from Scotland’s Isle of Arran, earned a law degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and moved to the United States to take the California bar exam and become a defense attorney, according to a GoFundMe page created by her family and friends.

“June was known for her vibrant personality, infectious laugh, and deeply compassionate heart,” her family wrote. “She worked tirelessly to build herself a better life. June’s life was cut short so far from home, and we are now faced with the heartbreaking task of bringing her back to the UK.”

The fundraising campaign, set up by Bunyan’s best friend on behalf of her mother and brother, seeks donations to cover the costs of returning her remains back to Scotland for a proper funeral and burial. “Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference, and help ease this burden during a time of profound grief,” the family wrote.

Renteria remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles on $4 million bail and his next court date is scheduled for Nov. 18, according to the LAPD.

Neighbors told KTLA that detectives notified them that their daughter is safe.

Annie Rose Ramos and Lindsey Peña‘s reporting contributed to this article.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to add the latest information on the victim’s daughter.

Neighbors of June Bunyan are mourning the loss of their friend and the horrifying way she died, describing a tragedy that has shaken their tight-knit Los Feliz apartment community.

Bunyan, 37, was found dead inside her Franklin Avenue apartment earlier this month, and her husband, 25-year-old Jonathan Renteria, has been arrested and charged with her murder and the mutilation of her body, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Bunyan’s cause of death was traumatic neck injuries, the County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

Residents who knew Bunyan shared with KTLA the shock and anguish they felt as the grim details emerged. Neighbor Arielle Miller said she saw investigators remove Bunyan’s remains in multiple body bags. 

“I saw her being carried out in multiple body bags,” Miller recalled. “The first body bag that came down … I said that’s not all of her. And then came another bag and that’s when I knew that she was not in one piece.”

Miller described Bunyan as a beloved friend who “didn’t deserve the way that she was disrespected” and “deserves dignity in death.” She said Bunyan had confided that she was deeply unhappy in her marriage and was allegedly preparing to leave Renteria. 

“She was trying to leave, and that’s when he killed her,” Miller told KTLA. She also claimed that Bunyan had sent messages saying: “The further I go into this marriage, the less I feel I can depend on him. I’ve never seen him so nasty before.”

According to Miller, Bunyan met Renteria on Twitter and moved to Los Angeles from Scotland to pursue law studies and be with him. The two married soon after she arrived and recently welcomed a baby girl. Miller said that during Bunyan’s pregnancy, Renteria made a comment implying she would no longer be his “muscle mama” because she would gain weight.

About two weeks before Bunyan’s body was discovered, deputies in Ventura County responded to a 911 call at a hotel where Renteria allegedly attempted suicide. Sources told KTLA he left a note saying he had killed his wife, prompting a welfare check by Los Angeles police. Neighbors said they had already noticed a foul odor coming from the apartment. “It was very strong even after the body had been removed,” Miller said, adding that flies filled the hallway.

Bunyan, originally from Scotland’s Isle of Arran, earned a law degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and moved to the United States to take the California bar exam and become a defense attorney, according to a GoFundMe page created by her family and friends.

“June was known for her vibrant personality, infectious laugh, and deeply compassionate heart,” her family wrote. “She worked tirelessly to build herself a better life. June’s life was cut short so far from home, and we are now faced with the heartbreaking task of bringing her back to the UK.”

The fundraising campaign, set up by Bunyan’s best friend on behalf of her mother and brother, seeks donations to cover the costs of returning her remains back to Scotland for a proper funeral and burial. “Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference, and help ease this burden during a time of profound grief,” the family wrote.

Renteria remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles on $4 million bail and his next court date is scheduled for Nov. 18, according to the LAPD.

Neighbors told KTLA that detectives notified them that their daughter is safe.

Annie Rose Ramos and Lindsey Peña‘s reporting contributed to this article.