The California DOJ, Bureau of Forensic Services Crime Labs in Watsonville, Richmond and Fresno assisted with this case

“California Department of Justice criminalists work in forensic labs throughout the State of California, assisting law enforcement with the investigation of some of the most horrific crimes committed.  We applaud their dedication and service to criminal justice.”  

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

MONTEREY COUNTY – On May 16, 2024, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced that convicted murderer Juan Nunez, 48, of Salinas, was sentenced to 18 years, 4 months to life in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

On August 8, 2002, Loretta Paluszynski was found dead in her home.  Paluszynski suffered from multiple stab wounds, including a deep laceration across her throat, and a bloody knife was found near her body.  The Salinas Police Department found Paluszynski after Paluszynski failed to pick up her son from childcare and she was reported missing.  Neighbors said that they heard fighting and arguing in the early morning hours between the victim and the defendant.  The defendant’s family informed police that the defendant showed up at their home in Salinas covered in blood and told them, “I did it, I did it.”  The defendant fled shortly thereafter to Mexico.  In 2021, the defendant was finally extradited from Mexico.

The case was investigated by Sergeant Ruben Sanchez of the Salinas Police Department, District Attorney Investigator Pablo Andrade, and with the valuable assistance of many current and retired Salinas Police Department officers, and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services Crime Laboratories in Watsonville, Richmond and Fresno.