Accused killer leads police to body of Barstow woman

Updated at 3:45 p.m. with positive identification of Hurst.

BARSTOW • A 37-year-old Silver Lakes man accused of killing his apparent 30-year-old Barstow girlfriend led authorities to her body buried in the desert near Newberry Springs Thursday.

Jeami Chiapulis entered into an agreement with the district attorney’s office during a pretrial hearing Thursday to receive 15 years to life in prison for second degree murder in exchange for revealing the location of Leisa Hurst’s body, according to deputy district attorney Sean Daugherty. Daugherty said the agreement was dependent on the remains being identifiable as Hurst’s. Daugherty was unable to discuss further details of the agreement or the case.

Chiapulis was released into the custody of Barstow Police Department detectives following the hearing, according to a Barstow Police Department report. Chiapulis, accompanied by his attorney Paul Henderson, directed the district attorney and detectives to an area near Newberry Springs, where human remains were found.

The remains were turned over to the San Bernardino County Coroner, who positively identified the body as that of Hurst on Friday afternoon, according to Barstow police.

Hurst was reported missing January 22. Chiapulis checked himself into the psychiatric ward of an unidentified hospital on Jan. 26. Police said Chiapulis had a romantic relationship  with Hurst, and searched his home twice shortly after Hurst’s disappearance. He was arrested at a Redland’s motel on February 13 just after being released from the hospital. Chiapulis was scheduled to start trial for Hurst’s killing at the end of November. Hurst’s family and friends organized searches in the Helendale and Oro Grande areas during the past eight months in an attempt to find her remains.

The investigation into the murder of Leisa Hurst is continuing and anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Det. Keith Libby at (760) 255-5134 or, if callers wish to remain anonymous, call the We-Tip hotline at 1(800) 78-CRIME.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or dheldreth@desertdispatch.com