Man charged in death of woman whose remains were found in Anza

MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) - A 40-year-old Hemet man was officially charged in the death of a missing woman whose remains were found last month in Anza.

Joseph Wayne Rainey pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder on Tuesday at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Rainey is set to return to court on November 12 for a felony settlement conference.

Rainey is accused of the murder of Jessica Rodriguez, 43, of Hemet. Rodriguez is believed to have gone missing during the month of October in the Hemet or Anza area. Her remains were found on Oct. 22 near Bautista Canyon Road and Willis Road in Anza.

Authorities said that, based on the autopsy results, investigators believe Rodriguez was the victim of a homicide. Rainey was identified as the suspect in the case; however, there was no information available on how the connection was made.

Rainey was arrested on Thursday in the 1400 block of State Street. Investigators said they served a search warrant at Rainey’s residence, where they seized multiple items related to the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Daniel DiMaggio at (951) 955–2777.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.