New search warrants unsealed in the murder case of a Marine wife reveal that, according to detectives, Brittany Killgore was an unwilling participant in sadomasochistic sexual activity involving the three suspects accused of killing her.

AP Photo/San Diego County Sheriff's Department

Brittany Killgore was reported missing April 14. Her body was found a few days later.

The San Diego, Calif., North County Superior Court released 22 search warrants in the Killgore murder case on Wednesday. The documents had previously been sealed at the request of the San Diego County district attorney.

Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 36; Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25 and U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Perez, 45, have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the killing of 22-year-old Killgore.

For more, visit NBCSanDiego.com

Killgore was last seen April 13 wearing a purple evening gown. Four days later her body was found abandoned near Lake Skinner in Riverside County.

Last week, an amended complaint was filed, adding new allegations to the murder charges, The North County Times reported.

The complaint also accuses the three suspects of conspiring to kidnap, torture and sexually assault Killgore. The allegations stem from what investigators believe is the alternative sexual lifestyle the three suspects participated in.

Warrants in Marine wife murder case reveal text messages, sex dungeon

In the 22 search warrants obtained Wednesday by NBC 7, detectives say they believe Killgore was killed during sexual activities with the suspects, right before her body was taken to Lake Skinner.

Detectives believe Perez never intended to take Killgore on a dinner cruise because he picked Killgore up from her apartment after the boat would’ve already departed, at approximately 7:37 p.m.

Search warrants reveal Perez and Killgore’s telephone records show their phones were being used in the Fallbrook area when they were supposed to be in San Diego that night.

Warrants also show that Killgore sent a text message to a friend asking for help 13 minutes after she was picked up by Perez. Soon after, additional text messages were sent from Killgore’s phone that weren’t consistent with her normal texting style.

In the warrants, detectives say Killgore’s cell phone appears to have been turned off for approximately two hours on the night of April 13, between 8:14 p.m. and 10:10 p.m. Detectives believe Perez and his accomplices turned off Killgore’s phone during that time so they could kill her and dispose of her body.

The documents confirm Killgore had injuries on her neck, consistent with being strangled, as well as injuries on her wrist and leg.

The warrants also reveal detectives found a receipt for cleaning supplies purchased on April 13, the day Killgore disappeared.

In four search warrants unsealed in July, investigators said they found evidence that an SUV owned by Perez had been used to dump Killgore's body in Lake Skinner.

A shopping bag containing blue latex gloves and a stun baton were also found during the investigation according to the warrants. Both the bag and the gloves had a red substance on them that tested positive for blood, the documents show.

Brittany Killgore, slain wife of Marine, texted 'help' on night of disappearance, prosecutor says

In the warrants, investigators say that San Diego County Crime Lab technicians confirmed the blood to be "a match for the DNA profile of Brittany Killgore."

On April 17, detectives attempted to contact Maraglino at a Point Loma hotel after a vehicle registered to her was located in the parking lot.

Once officials gained access to the hotel room, they spotted blood on the bed and saw a woman who identified herself as “Rosalin” inside, the search warrants document.

"Rosalin" was later identified as Jessica Lopez.

Disturbing finds inside hotel room
Also inside the hotel room were large knives in the bathroom and a note on the dressing area mirror stating, “Pigs read this,” the documents show.

On the dressing table officers said they found a seven-page handwritten letter that began: “I’m sorry Mistress I know you would’ve tried to stop me…You have the wrong f--king person,” according to the warrants.

The letter went on to say “I hid the body of that whore in plain sight," investigators stated in the warrants. One of the search warrants contains the note, which describes the injuries Killgore reportedly suffered and how she was murdered.

The search warrants also reveal more about the unusual sexual activity that prosecutors say was happening at a home on East Fallbrook Street, the residence of Maraglino and her roommate Lopez.

According to the warrant, an ex-girlfriend of Perez allegedly told police they were involved in bondage, whipping, cutting and spanking.

She told police that on one occasion a female was held in the sex dungeon and not allowed to leave without Perez’s permission, according to the search warrants.

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NBC San Diego

Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 36, appeared in a Vista courtroom to face a murder charge for allegedly aiding and abetting in Brittany Killgore's murder, prosecutors charged.

Prosecutors say a trio of defendants lured a North County, Calif., Marine wife to go on a dinner cruise but had different plans for her in the hours before her death.

New details were revealed in court Tuesday about what may have happened to Brittany Killgore, the 22-year-old Fallbrook resident who was last seen alive on April 13, wearing a purple evening gown.

Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 36, appeared in court to face a murder charge for allegedly aiding and abetting in Killgore's murder, prosecutors charged. She stood quietly in court staring at the ground with half her face covered by hair.

Maraglino is pregnant, according to a law enforcement source, who added that she is due in August.

Brittany Dawn Killgore

Her alleged co-conspirators, Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, and U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Perez, 45, have pleaded not guilty to murder in previous court appearances.

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza said Maraglino was involved in every part of the crime, from the planning to the execution.

Read original story on NBCSanDiego.com

Killgore's body was found abandoned on the side of the road on April 17, four days after she was reported missing. The last communication anyone received from Killgore was a text on April 13 that read "help."

Prosecutors said Maraglino called Killgore April 13 to convince her to go on a boat cruise, but it was just a ruse.

Killgore did not want to go with Maraglino, prosecutors said, because she knew the defendant didn't like her.

However, Killgore agreed to go with Perez and got in the car with him. It was during that ride, prosecutors claim, that Killgore texted the word "help" to a friend.

Within minutes, according to investigators, Perez had texted Maraglino, asking her to meet him at a home she owned. Maraglino bought the home in December 2009, according to the North County Times. At some point, she shared the home with Lopez and Perez.

Investigators searched the residence several times in the days after Killgore's body was discovered, taking photos, removing evidence bags and even watching video tapes, according to neighbors.

Click here for timeline from NBCSanDiego.com: Brittany Killgore case

At a hearing last month, a prosecutor said investigators found Killgore’s blood and a weapon in Perez's car.

An incriminating note?
Authorities said Killgore's body was discovered in brush near Lake Skinner, only hours after paramedics were called to a San Diego motel and found another woman -- who turned out to be Jessica Lynn Lopez -- with self-inflicted cuts and a suicide note.

The suicide note reportedly refers to Maraglino as "Mistress" and Lopez as "Master." The San Diego Union Tribune published a report saying its staff had a copy of the handwritten note along with reaction from Lopez' attorney Sloan Ostbye, who said the contents of the letter should not be believed.

“Master I am so sorry I dragged you into this,” the letter reads. “I thought I was defending the family and it would be simple like Dexter.”

"Dexter" likely refers to the television show "Dexter," which depicts a serial killer.

Lopez admits in the letter to binding and strangling Killgore, and then dumping her body near Lake Skinner.

The prosecutor said Lopez and Perez once lived together but didn't indicate when or where. Lopez currently lives a mile from Killgore's second-floor apartment overlooking Camp Pendleton.

Maraglino and Perez practiced sadomasochism and bondage, according to online profiles posted by the two, reported The San Diego Union Tribune. Maraglino is described online as Perez's "sex slave," said the paper.

Perez has lived in San Diego County for 10 years and has a wife there.

Authorities have revealed no link between Killgore and the sadomasochistic lifestyle, said the Tribune. She was "an innocent victim," Espinoza told the court.

Homicide detectives said Maraglino’s arrest – the third in Killgore’s case – was made as a result of information and evidence obtained throughout the ongoing investigation.

The judge set bail for her at $3 million.

Killgore recently separated from Marine Lance Cpl. Cory Killgore, who was in Afghanistan when she disappeared. She cited irreconcilable differences in her divorce filing but gave no other details.

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Brittany Killgore was reported missing April 14. Her body was found a few days later.

A Marine’s wife who was killed and left on the side of the road in California texted a friend for help on the night of her disappearance, a deputy district attorney said in court.

Investigators say that three days after seeking a divorce from her husband deployed in Afghanistan, 22-year-old Brittany Killgore of San Diego disappeared after a night out with another Marine.

On Thursday that Marine, Luis Ray Perez, 45, was charged with first-degree murder in Killgore’s death.

Prosecutors outlined their version of Killgore's last hours alive.

"She sent a text saying, 'Help,'" Patrick Espinoza, a deputy district attorney in San Diego County, said in court. "She was missing from that point on."

Killgore's message to an unidentified friend was disclosed at an arraignment for Perez, who pleaded not guilty to murder.

The brief hearing offered the most details yet of what authorities believe happened to Killgore after she disappeared on April 13.

Espinoza said investigators found Killgore's blood and a weapon in Perez's car. He also said Perez told investigators he dropped off Killgore in downtown San Diego's bustling Gaslamp District, but investigators concluded that he lied about his whereabouts and stayed in the town of Fallbrook, about 60 miles north, where Killgore lived.

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Authorities said Killgore's body was found in brush near Lake Skinner on April 17, only hours after paramedics were called to a San Diego motel and found another woman with self-inflicted cuts and a suicide note.

Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, was the woman found at the motel, authorities said. She also has pleaded not guilty to murder.

The prosecutor said Lopez and Perez once lived together but didn't indicate when or where. Lopez currently lives a mile from Killgore's second-floor apartment overlooking Camp Pendleton.

Espinoza didn't disclose a possible motive or other details about the death during the hearing, and he later declined to elaborate on the investigation.

It's still unclear how Killgore died and whether the unspecified weapon authorities said they found in Perez's car was used in the killing.

Perez's attorney, Jeff Reichert, said Lopez's suicide note shows "very, very clearly" that she killed Killgore and that his client was not involved.

"The court has information in its hands that exonerates my client on this charge," Reichert said.

However, details of the note were not released, and Superior Court Judge Kimberlee Lagotta ordered it to be sealed.

Perez, a Marine for 16 years who is married and has lived in the San Diego area for 10 years, has also pleaded not guilty to stealing an assault weapon. The prosecutor said Perez stole the weapon and a motorcycle from a trailer at Camp Pendleton.

The death has shaken many at Camp Pendleton and neighboring Fallbrook, known for its rolling hills and avocado orchards. The Killgores lived in one of several apartment complexes on Ammunition Road that advertise special rates for military members and is close to a base entrance.

Killgore recently separated from Marine Lance Cpl. Cory Killgore, who was in Afghanistan when she disappeared. She cited irreconcilable differences in her divorce filing but gave no other details.

Cory Killgore made his first public comments about his wife's death in a statement released Thursday by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department:

"My wife Brittany, was beautiful beyond words and her murder has left me devastated. My duty to her memory is now to ensure her good reputation remains intact, and help law enforcement and prosecutors secure justice for the person, or persons who took her away from me.

Brittany's death cannot be in vain – at this point, I don't know how to use this tragedy for good, but others have found their way and I hope to do the same. Brittany meant too much to do any less. As my father‐in‐law said, please honor my wife's name and don't succumb to salacious gossip and rumor. Brittany was a beautiful, good person, who did not deserve this."

The judge set bail at $3 million each for Perez and Lopez and scheduled a preliminary hearing for May 30. If convicted, they could face maximum sentences of life in prison.

This report includes information from NBCLosAngeles.com, NBCSanDiego.com and The Associated Press.

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Brittany Dawn Killgore, 22, the wife of a Marine, went missing on April 14 in Riverside County, California. Her body has been found and two have been arrested in relation to her death.

A Marine already in custody for theft of an assault weapon was booked Tuesday on suspicion of murdering another Marine’s wife, authorities said.

The latest allegation against Louis Ray Perez came a week after the body of 22-year-old Brittany Killgore was found near a lake in Southern California.

Sheriff's investigators identified Perez, 45, as a person of interest shortly after Killgore's body was discovered.

He was arrested the day after Killgore disappeared for allegedly stealing the assault weapon. Prosecutors said he stole the weapon from a man in early February but have not indicated whether they believe it was used to kill Killgore.

He has not been charged in her murder.

“We have just gotten the case,” district attorney spokeswoman Tanya Sierra told the San Diego Union Tribune. “It is under review.”

See more photos and video at NBCSanDiego.com

Another suspect, Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, pleaded not guilty to murder last week in Killgore's death. She is being held on $3 million bail.

Authorities have not said whether Lopez and Perez knew each other or whether they knew the victim.

Jeff Reichert, Perez's attorney, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Perez, who has been in the military for 16 years, has no criminal history. He is married and has lived in the San Diego area for about 10 years, Reichert said in court last week. He is being held on $500,000 bail.

Killgore’s body was found near Lake Skinner in Riverside County about 25 miles northeast of her modest apartment complex in Fallbrook, a town of 38,000 people near Camp Pendleton.

She died less than a week after filing for divorce from Lance Cpl. Cory Killgore, a Marine who was in Afghanistan when she disappeared. She cited irreconcilable differences in her divorce filing, which gave no other details.

Cory Killgore has not been named as a suspect or person of interest in the killing. The couple married in July 2010.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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AP

Brittany Dawn Killgore is shown in a photo provided by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

SAN DIEGO — An online blog posted by slain Marine wife Brittany Killgore when she was just 17 is giving the public more insight on her past.

The blog is titled 13smyfavoritenumber. Friday, April 13, was the day she was last seen alive. Her nude body was found Tuesday in a small ravine in Riverside County. In court documents, police have said that she had suffered "homicidal violence."

In her blog, Brittany talked about suffering from depression as a teen but said she stopped taking pills for it after feeling better.

Brittany Killgore talked about things that concern most teenagers: insecurities, traveling the world and finding true love.

In fact, she wanted to get married someday and have two kids, but she was also concerned because the divorce rate is so high.

Read the original story at NBCSanDiego.com

Early last week before she went missing, the 22-year-old Fallbrook resident filed for divorce from her husband, Marine Cory Killgore.

Like many teens, she wrote that she didn't get along with her family and but looked forward to going to college.

She also said she didn't do drugs and channeled all her energy into her artwork.

New details also emerged about the woman accused of killing Killgore and a man who has been called a person of interest in the case.

Jessica Lynn Lopez, who is charged with first-degree murder, and Louis Perez, a Camp Pendleton Marine, either lived together or lived at the same residence at different times, according to legal records examined by NBCSanDiego.com.

On Sunday, 45-year-old Perez, who authorities have said is the last person to be seen with Killgore, was arrested. He is accused of stealing an AR-15 assault rifle and was booked into Las Colinas Detention Facility on $500,000 bail. Perez was questioned regarding Killgore's disappearance, but detectives said he was uncooperative.

Authorities have not said what, if any, role they suspect Perez of playing in Killgore's disappearance.

Lopez, 25, was arrested on Tuesday at a Ramada Inn in San Diego. She had self-inflicted injuries, according to Homicide Lt. Larry Nesbit of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. She went to UCSD Medical Center for "medical necessity" before being booked into Las Colinas.

Lopez pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday. A judge set bail at $3 million; Lopez's next court appearance will be next Friday.

It is unknown if Lopez and Perez lived in the residence at the same time, but housing records show that each of them lived at the same residence at some point.

A former neighbor of Lopez's told NBC San Diego that Lopez's family still lives in that home.

Court records reveal two warrants were issued for the arrest of Lopez last year, after she failed to appear in court for traffic citations.

Those citations give two addresses for Lopez — on Rorex Drive in Escondido, and more recently, on Fallbrook Street in Fallbrook. Killgore and her husband also lived in Fallbrook.

Lopez has two sisters, one of whom is married to a military man, according to a neighbor. The neighbor said Lopez went to San Pasqual High School and attended a North County community college.

Lopez's family is represented by Escondido attorney Dean Broyles, who said they are "still reeling" from Lopez's arrest. Broyles is also the Lopez family's neighbor.

Broyles urged the public to disregard the the rumors and innuendo surrounding Killgore's death, and let the legal system do its job. "Don't rush to judgment until all the facts are out," he said.

On Thursday, Killgore's father, Darryl Wrest, spoke publicly about his daughter, choking back tears as he read a short statement.

"I am here to speak for Brittany, as her voice was taken from her,” he said. "Brittany was a beautiful, kind caring young woman trying to find her way in this world."

Wrest defended his daughter against rumors circulating about her private life.

"Please leave my daughter in peace, she does not deserve to be the victim of lies and innuendo, any more than she deserves to be murdered," he said adding that Brittany’s family was going to fight for justice for her.

This article includes reporting by Tony Shin, along with Paul Krueger, Greg Bledsoe and Sarah Griecoof NBCSanDiego.com.

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San Diego County Sheriff via AP

Brittany Dawn Killgore, whose body was identified Wednesday.

Updated at 6:15 p.m. EDT: SAN DIEGO -- A 25-year-old woman charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of a Camp Pendleton Marine's wife pleaded not guilty Thursday and was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $3 million bail.

Jessica Lynn Lopez was arraigned Thursday at San Diego County’s Vista Superior Court on charges involving what prosecutors called “homicidal violence” against Brittany Dawn Killgore, the San Diego Union Tribune reported.

Also Thursday afternoon, Killgore's father, Darryl Wrest, who lives in Pennsylvania, read an emotional statement at the San Diego County Sheriff's headquarters in Kearny Mesa, the North County Times reported.

"I am here to speak for Brittany, as her voice was taken from her,” Wrest said. "Brittney was a victim, she did nothing wrong," Wrest said. "There have been stories and comments made from people who do not know my daughter and have their own agendas or opinions. These stories have absolutely no basis in fact. Please leave my daughter in peace, she does not deserve to be a victim of lies and innuendo any more than she deserved to be murdered.”

Lopez was arrested Tuesday, hours before Killgore’s body was found in a remote area of neighboring Riverside County.

Authorities found Lopez in a Loma Linda motel room with self-inflicted cuts. Prosecutors said Lopez had left a suicide note that led investigators to Killgore’s body.

Earlier Thursday, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said at a news conference that Lopez could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.

Dumanis refused to discuss facts or evidence in what she called the "ongoing case."

She said another Marine, Louis Ray Perez, 45, was arraigned Wednesday on a separate stolen weapons charge and remains a person of interest in the Killgore killing. Additional charges are possible, she said.

"This case has shaken many in San Diego County and the military community," she said.

Dumanis said answers about the killing will come as the case makes its way through the criminal justice system.

Killgore was reported missing Saturday. Her body was found in a rural part of neighboring Riverside County.

Her husband, Cory Killgore, is based at Camp Pendleton but has been deployed to Afghanistan.

Earlier story: Coroner says body of woman is that of Brittany Killgore, missing wife of Marine

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AP

Brittany Dawn Killgore was reported missing Saturday.

The body of a woman found in California's Riverside County is that of a Marine's wife who disappeared last week, the county coroner said Wednesday.

Brittany Killgore, 22, was last seen on Friday in San Diego County and was reported missing the next day. Her husband, Cory Killgore, is based at Camp Pendleton but has been deployed to Afghanistan.

Another Camp Pendleton Marine who authorities say is a person of interest in her disappearance pleaded not guilty to weapons-theft charges Wednesday, the North County Times of Escondido, Calif., reported. Authorities said they found an AR-15 rifle taken from the Marine base in the car of Louis Perez, 45, and questioned him about Killgore’s disappearance. Detectives said he has been uncooperative.

Authorities have said Perez was the last person seen with Killgore.

On Tuesday, a woman was arrested in relation to Killgore’s disappearance. Jessica Lynn Lopez, 27, was booked into Las Colinas women's jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. Lynn was taken into custody after deputies found her at the Ramada Inn in Point Loma with self-inflicted wounds, Lt. Larry Nesbit said. A suicide note in her motel room reportedly led investigators to the female body in a rural area of Riverside County, the Times reported.

Perez was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail after the hearing, the Times reported. Lopez is scheduled for a court appearance Thursday.

Police have not explained the relationship among Perez, Lopez and Killgore.

The developments came as word emerged that she had planned to leave her Fallbrook home and return to her parents’ Pennsylvania home, the North County Times reported.

Killgore was reported missing Saturday after a stranger called her parents from Killgore’s cell phone, said her grandmother, Cheryl Coble of Farmington, Mo.

A homeless man in downtown San Diego was attempting to sell the phone to the stranger, Coble said. The stranger then called Michelle Wrest, Killgore’s mother, who contacted authorities.

Killgore was supposed to go out with Perez and his girlfriend on a dinner cruise on Friday, Coble said. She said the girlfriend decided not to go on the cruise at the last minute and the Wrest family is unsure whether Killgore made it to the dinner. It was not clear who the girlfriend was.

On April 10, Killgore filed for divorce from her husband.

Coble said Killgore was supposed to go to her parents’ house in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Authorities found luggage and a laptop case at Killgore’s apartment and her belongings had been shipped to her parents’ house, according to Coble.

"She just wanted to be at her parents' house," Coble said. “[She] just wanted to sit and hold her new niece.”

Darryl Wrest, Killgore’s father, and her grandfather, Jim Wrest, are in San Diego. Cory Killgore is expected back from Afghanistan by the end of the week.

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FALLBROOK, Calif. -- A Camp Pendleton Marine was on his way home from Afghanistan Tuesday as San Diego County deputies investigated the disappearance of his wife, Brittany Killgore, who was divorcing him.

"Thank you everyone for the prayers and concerns," Killgore's husband, Cory Killgore, a motor transport operator, said on his Facebook page. "I request you pray for her more then you do for me I have family and friends for support she is alone where ever she is."

Brittany Killgore's parents flew to San Diego from their home in Erie, Pa., Monday, according to media reports.

A person of interest who deputies said was “uncooperative” in the case was jailed over the weekend on a separate charge. Louis Ray Perez, 45, also a Marine based at Camp Pendleton, was last seen with Killgore, 22, who was dressed in a purple evening gown, officials told NBCSanDiego.com.

Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Nesbit said Perez was arrested Sunday on suspicion of possessing an AR-15 rifle stolen from the base. Investigators discovered the weapon in Perez’s car while they searched it for clues in Killgore’s disappearance, NBCSanDiego.com reported. He was being held at a San Diego jail on $500,000 bail on suspicion of illegal possession of an assault weapon and receiving stolen property.

See NBCSanDiego.com's video report 

"There is a strong likelihood Brittany is the victim of foul play," Nesbit said.

San Diego County Sheriff via AP

Brittany Dawn Killgore, 22, was reported missing Saturday.

Teams searching for Killgore scoured rural areas around Fallbrook on Monday.

They suspended their search in the large and dense De Luz Canyon Tuesday after finding nothing Monday, sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Caldwell told msnbc.com. She said deputies were following other leads, but she could not comment further because of the "very active" nature of the case.

Her cellphone was found about 60 miles south Saturday in San Diego's Gaslamp District by city trolley security.

Authorities, however, said they doubt Killgore ever made it to the shopping and entertainment district known for its nightlife. She likely never left the Fallbrook area, officials said.

The North County Times said records show Killgore filed for divorce last week from her husband, who officials said is returning from Afghanistan because of the disappearance but is not suspected of being involved. He was deployed last fall.

The San Diego Union Tribune said the couple, from Missouri, married in 2010 and moved to Fallbrook a month later. They lived in an apartment near Camp Pendleton gates.

Bing map

The divorce was news to neighbor Christopher Oglesby, who told NBCSanDiego.com that Killgore was very nice.

“There’s nothing shady going on around here,” he said.

Another neighbor, Paul Burshteyn, told NBCSanDiego.com that Killgore could still return.

“Hope never dies,” he said.

Killgore is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, 130 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes, officials said.

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