On what was supposed to be a day of holiday celebration, Desiree Carmen Fuentes, a 43-year-old woman from Sonoma County, California, was found dead on April 5, 2026. Her life was cut short in a violent sequence of events that began in her home county and concluded with a grim discovery in neighboring Lake County. Fuentes was not the only victim; she was accompanied by her friend, Terry Joe Harris, 58, who also lost his life.
The investigation into their deaths unfolded after a California Highway Patrol officer pulled over a Chevrolet Suburban in Clearlake for a simple registration violation on Easter Sunday morning.
The routine traffic stop quickly escalated into a complex homicide investigation. Officers at the scene immediately noticed a significant amount of blood inside the vehicle. A passenger, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Kenneth Schussolin of Clearlake, attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended. The driver, 32-year-old Jasslynn Pearl Critchett, also from Clearlake, was detained at the scene. A search of the SUV revealed the body of Terry Joe Harris in the rear passenger area. This led investigators on a wider search, which resulted in the discovery of Fuentes's body down an embankment miles away. A gun was also recovered near the location where Schussolin had attempted to escape.
Both Schussolin and Critchett were arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail, facing serious charges that include murder, carjacking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Prosecutors have indicated that the two could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Investigators believe that the tragic encounter between the victims and the suspects began on the same day the murders occurred. Fuentes and Harris were in legal possession of the vehicle that the suspects were driving at the time of their arrest.
Desiree Fuentes was a mother who was actively rebuilding her life and reconnecting with her two daughters. Her family described her as a "sweet social butterfly" who was loved by everyone she met. She was expected to be with her family to celebrate the Easter holiday, but she never arrived. The news of her violent death has left her family and friends devastated as they now prepare for a future without her.
