A 41-year-old man accused of killing his landlord’s daughter in Chula Vista was scheduled to appear in court Thursday, but his arraignment was postponed until Friday afternoon for medical reasons.
The victim’s family identified her as 56-year-old Brenda Elizabeth Gillett, though Chula Vista police have not publicly confirmed her identity.
Family members told NBC 7 San Diego that Gillett was a hardworking woman who loved to dance and served in the U.S. Army.
According to her family, Gillett went to speak with her mother’s tenant, identified by police as Watkins, at a home on Villa Curvada in Chula Vista several days ago.
Afterward, someone reported Gillett missing.
Police later found Gillett’s vehicle, but investigators were initially unable to locate her.
According to police, Watkins confessed to killing Gillett but did not tell investigators where her body was located.
A dog walker later discovered a body in the bushes at Paseo del Rey Park nearby.
The arraignment is now scheduled for Friday afternoon.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.