A Johnson County judge on Friday sentenced Justin Rey, 37, to more than eight years in prison following his arrest after he and his children were discovered inside a Lenexa storage unit in 2017 with his wife’s dismembered body.
Rey was defiant as Johnson County Judge Brenda Cameron read his sentence Friday, saying, “You believe you’re going to get away with this? You all believe you are going to get away with this?” and then continuing to interrupt as Cameron attempted to finish her remarks.
After several warnings to Rey, Cameron directed sheriff’s deputies to escort him from the courtroom. He watched the remainder of the judge’s remarks over closed circuit television.
Rey was found guilty on charges of child endangerment, sexual exploitation of a child and contributing to a child’s misconduct in a jury trial that concluded in January.
According to testimony during the trial, Rey’s wife Jessica Monteiro died after giving birth in a hotel room near the Truman Sports Complex. He said he dismembered the body so he could transport it to Arizona for burial. When Lenexa police found him, he had his 2 year old and newborn daughters with him inside the storage unit with Montiero’s remains.
The investigation led to the charges of child exploitation after officers found child pornography on Rey’s phone.
Rey had entered a motion with the court claiming his counsel had been ineffective. That motion was denied.
