Texas man sentenced for brutal murder of Nicole Perry

A horrific crime occurred in Texas where a mother was brutally murdered and dismembered. Nicole "Niki" Perry, 31, suffered a violent attack in a drug house. Her partner, Randall Fulghum, witnessed the horrifying act and described a sound he would "never forget" during the incident. Perry was struggling with depression after her father's death, leading her and Fulghum to seek shelter from acquaintances. They ended up at a home where Rafael Castillo, a member of a violent gang, also lived. An argument between Perry and Fulghum was interrupted by Castillo, who escalated the situation. Castillo threatened Perry, telling her to stop talking. Fulghum described being frozen in fear as Castillo grabbed a machete. He then attacked Perry, delivering a fatal blow. After the murder, Castillo forced Fulghum and another woman, Vanessa Vargas, to clean up the crime scene. They were ordered to hide Perry's dismembered body parts in plastic bins, and Fulghum stuffed her severed hands into a crockpot for lack of a better place. A man named Steven Cleveland, asked to help dispose of the remains, later contacted the police after discovering human remains. Municipal workers found the gruesome evidence in trash bags the next day and alerted law enforcement. Fulghum eventually confessed to the crime but was released due to insufficient evidence. In August 2022, Castillo received a 70-year prison sentence after a short jury deliberation. The state emphasized the brutal nature of Perry's murder, while the defense presented witnesses who spoke to Castillo's character. Despite this, the prosecution argued for a stern sentence due to the crime's severity.