A Sacramento man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his wife, whose burned remains were discovered in neighbouring El Dorado County, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said. Gurinder Singh Gill, 28, was arrested on October 14 after detectives obtained a murder warrant, and he was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is ineligible for bail, authorities said. The charge is an allegation; he has not been convicted.
Source: HI INDIA, reporting the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office
His wife, Jasmine Gill, 30, was last seen at the couple's Sacramento residence on September 30, according to the sheriff's office. Her cousin reported her missing on October 4. Burned human remains found in El Dorado County on October 1 were later identified as hers. Jewellery found with the remains helped with the identification, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Edward Igoe told KCRA in remarks reported on October 19.
Source: India-West News Desk, reporting the sheriff's office
The ICE claim, and what ICE told detectives
During the initial inquiry, Gill allegedly told investigators that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had taken his wife into custody while she was checking the mail at their residence, the sheriff's office said. Detectives contacted ICE, which confirmed that no enforcement activity had taken place at the address, according to the sheriff's office.
Source: India Tribune, reporting the sheriff's office
As the investigation progressed, detectives identified several inconsistencies in Gill's statements about his wife's disappearance, Sgt. Igoe said in a statement quoted by multiple outlets. Investigators also learned that the couple had been involved in an ongoing divorce and child-custody dispute. Detectives executed search warrants at two residences associated with him as part of the investigation.
Source: HI INDIA
What is solid
- The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office says Jasmine Gill was last seen on September 30, was reported missing on October 4, and that burned remains found in El Dorado County on October 1 were later identified as hers.
- ICE told detectives no enforcement activity took place at the couple's Sacramento residence, the sheriff's office said.
- Gurinder Singh Gill was arrested on October 14 on a murder warrant, is held in the Sacramento County Main Jail and is ineligible for bail; a charge is not a conviction.
What is only claimed
- Gill's alleged account — that ICE agents took his wife while she checked the mail — is contradicted by ICE's statement to detectives, according to the sheriff's office; what happened to Jasmine Gill, and who is responsible, is for the court to decide.
- No motive has been established in court. Reporting that the couple were in divorce and child-custody proceedings comes from investigators, not from a court finding.
Jasmine Gill was a registered nurse and the mother of an eight-month-old boy, according to a fundraiser organised by family member Daman Gill. The family appeal says donations will help return her remains to India so relatives can pay their final respects, and will support her son's care. Gill's next court appearance is scheduled for December 7 at 8:30 a.m. for a bail review and settlement conference, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office confirmed to SFGATE, which obtained the criminal complaint in the case.