Charges Expected To Be Dropped In ‘Octopus Murders’ Case

The only man to ever be arrested in connection with three murders in Rancho Mirage may not face trial, according to the daughter of one of the victims.

James “Jimmy” Hughes had been extradited from Florida In December 2009 to face murder charges in Riverside County in connection with the case prosecutors had been working on for years: the “Octopus Murders.” It got its name from the long list of people, agencies, and tribal members connected to the investigation.

Hughes had once been a witness in the case, but turned into the prime suspect in the mid-1980s. He had sought refuge in Central America until late last year when he was arrested in Florida boarding a plane to return to Central America, and sent back to the Coachella Valley to face charges that he killed former Cabazon Band of Mission Indians tribal leader Fred Alvarez, Patricia Castro, and Ralph Boger.

Boger’s daughter, Rachel Begley, said the state Attorney General’s Office notified her Thursday that charges will be dropped against Hughes because of a lack of evidence.

Hughes attorney, Miami-based attorney Rene Sotorrio, and Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy did not immediately return requests for comment.

Evan Westrup, a spokesman for Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office said he could not comment on the case.

“At this time we can’t comment until our position is presented in court on July 1,” Westrup said.

Begley, who independently investigated the case and worked with Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigators on the case against Hughes, had tough words for the Attorney General’s Office.

“I think that whole department, the attorney general’s department, are either corrupt or completely incompetent,” Begley told City News Service.

She said the evidence against Hughes “is so overwhelming that there is just no possible good reason to do this.

“We have witnesses that have placed him at the scene of the crime. He went on the record saying that he did this and they are going to let him go,” Begley said.

Hughes is accused of conspiring with three other men to commit the murders to keep Alvarez from exposing alleged illegal activities by the tribe’s casino founder, John Philip Nichols.

In addition to Hughes and Nichols, court documents identify the alleged co-conspirators as Nichols’ son, John Paul Nichols, and Glen Heggstad.

Hughes is currently being held without bail in Blythe.