5 Arrested in Connection with Torture Death of Michigan Woman Held Captive in Pennsylvania

Authorities are also investigating the death of a second woman that is related to this case, the district attorney said

A Michigan woman who traveled to Pennsylvania to visit someone she thought was a "friend" allegedly ended up being held captive, tortured and killed by that person and four others who are now facing murder charges, the Luzerne County district attorney announced.

On April 9, Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said at a press conference that the badly decomposed body of Nicole Cuevas-Ingram, 38, of Saginaw, Mich., had been found buried in the basement of a home in Wilkes-Barre on Feb. 27.

Her body was wrapped in a tarp and tied with electrical cords and rope and her head was covered in two plastic shopping bags, according to court documents obtained by the Times Leader.

Her remains were surrounded by moth balls in the basement of the home, where she was buried in April 2023 after being viciously killed, Sanguedolce said at the press conference, which was streamed by PAhomepage.com and viewed by PEOPLE.

Cuevas-Ingram came to Wilkes-Barre in 2023 “with one of the people that murdered her that resided at 142 Carlisle Street believing they were friends,” the district attorney alleged.

“Obviously that went awry fairly quickly," he said. "I think she came really just for a visit and tried to get home but was unsuccessful in that endeavor unfortunately by nature of the fact that she couldn’t escape her kidnappers that resulted in her death.”

On April 9, the five suspects — Desiree Linnette, 43, and her daughter, Sarai Doyle, 24, of Edwardsville; Jason Race, 43, and Faith Beamer, 39, of Wilkes-Barre; and William Wolfe, 54, were arrested.

They are charged with homicide, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, aggravated assault and abuse of a corpse.

While Cuevas-Ingram was held captive, the district attorney alleged she “was handcuffed to a basement post, and over the course of several weeks, she was severely beaten.

“The beatings resulted in bruising, a broken ankle, nearly all of her ribs were broken, her nasal cavity was destroyed, her head was shaved, she was stabbed and slashed in several places including her arm, torso and all over her back, and her hyoid bone in her neck was broken, that is generally indicative to investigators of strangulation,” Sanguedolce said.

“The evidence revealed she was kicked and stomped and strangled,” he said.

According to court documents obtained by the Times Leader, a witness saw Cuevas-Ingram drooling and with a shaved head in the kitchen.

When Cuevas-Ingram soiled herself while she was handcuffed, Linnette and Race allegedly became so angry that Race stomped on Cuevas-Ingram’s head until she died, the court documents state.

Investigators claim to have found the black boots Race allegedly wore when he stomped on Cuevas-Ingram’s head, according to the court documents.

Her death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation, he said.

During the press conference, Sanguedolce also said authorities are investigating the death of a second woman, Deborah Fox, 69, who could be related to this case.

Fox was the former owner of the home, where Cuevas-Ingram was allegedly held against her will, tortured and killed, Sanguedolce said.

Her decomposed body was found in a wooded area in Wilkes-Barre on March 26.

Police are continuing to investigate both cases.

The suspects are being held without bail at various correctional institutions in the area, the district attorney said. It is unclear whether they have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.

Anyone with information regarding past residents of the property or anyone with information about the remains is asked to contact members of the Wilkes-Barre Police Detective Division, either Lt. Matthew Stash at 570-208-0911 or Detective James Conmy at 570-208-6775.

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