SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An ex-Marine charged with murdering his girlfriend six years ago faced a judge for the the first time Friday morning.
Raymond McLeod was captured in El Salvador on Monday, Aug. 29,before being extradited back to San Diego.
Family members of Krystal Mitchell, the victim in this case, were in the courtroom for the proceeding.
McLeod entered a not guilty plea during the first appearance. The judge said he will continue to be held without bail.
McLeod is accused of killing Mitchell in 2016, as the couple was visiting friends in San Diego.
Josephine Wentzel, Mitchell's mother, was present for the arraignment. The San Diego District Attorney's Office said Wentzel, who is a former police detective, played a critical role in helping find the man accused of killing her daughter.
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"Someone asked me when will I feel that we're done with this? Are you satisfied you got him?" Wentzel said. "No. I will be satisfied when he is convicted for brutally murdering my daughter, and that he is sentenced to life in prison. And I will be just as much involved as I was in the search to see this happen."
She said she's feeling a mix of emotions. She also shared that while in the courtroom, McLeod avoided eye contact with her.
The judge ordered news cameras not to show McLeod's face for the time being. During the proceeding, he stood behind a glass window and wore a face mask.
Back in 2016, Mitchell's body was found inside of a friend's home on Mission Gorge Road in Allied Gardens. According to police, she was last seen with McLeod at a bar.
Detectives say a witness saw the defendant slap Mitchell inside the business before leaving.
Prosecutors say McLeod strangled Mitchell before leaving the country.
10News learned she suffered from three different fractures to her voice box.
McLeod was on the run for years and was one of the 15 most wanted fugitives in the country, according to the US Marshals Service's list.
The district attorney’s office held a press conference Friday morning, where there they shared more details on his capture.
US Marshals said during the press conference they got a tip on Saturday, Aug. 27, that McLeod was in El Salvador, working as an English instructor at a school for adults.
"On Monday, Aug. 29, US Marshals accompanied a team of El Salvadorian police to the town of Sonsonate and conducted surveillance on the school in question. They determined the individual inside the school was in fact Mr. McLeod, going by the name of Jack Donovan," said Joseph O'Callaghan, a Chief Deputy for the US Marshals. "El Salvadorian law enforcement officals took McLeod into custody inside the classroom from where he was teaching. Upon his detention, McLeod was transferred to the capital of El Salvador, where he was processed by Interpol and El Salvadorian immigration."
Following his arrest in El Salvador, McLeod was brought back to San Diego and turned over to San Diego Police early Wednesday morning.
Law enforcement had a $50,000 reward for any tips leading to McLeod's arrest. A tipster is expected to collect that reward.
McLeod faces up to 25 years to life in prison, if he's convicted at trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 6.
