In January 2016, the life of 27-year-old Renee Mitchell was tragically cut short in her Coloma, Michigan home. A loving mother, she was remembered for her enjoyment of shopping, concerts, and spending time with her two young daughters. The grim discovery of Renee and her 67-year-old father, John Mitchell, sent shockwaves through their family and the community.
Both had been killed inside their residence.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on Alex Perez, who was the father of Renee's two children. Following the murders, Perez abducted his daughters, prompting an AMBER Alert. The search for the children and their father ended in Georgetown, Colorado, where Perez was located and arrested a few hours after the alert was issued. The two girls were found unharmed.
After his arrest, Alex Perez was extradited back to Michigan in April 2016 to face charges for the deaths of Renee and her father. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. After undergoing mental evaluations, Perez was initially found incompetent to stand trial in June 2016. However, in June 2018, he accepted a plea deal from the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office.
Perez pleaded no contest but mentally ill to two counts of second-degree murder. The prosecutor offered the plea deal to avoid a potential verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, which would have made his future release unpredictable. The defense noted that a hammer was used in the commission of the crimes. In July 2018, Alex Perez was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison for the murders of Renee Mitchell and John Mitchell, ensuring he would be held accountable for his actions and protecting the community for decades to come.
