Husband accused of murdering Scots lawyer in LA facing child abuse charges

The husband of a Scots lawyer, accused of her murder in Los Angeles, is facing fresh child abuse claims in court.

June Bunyan moved to California to sit the bar exam after earning a law degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen in 2022.

The 37-year-old, who grew up on the Isle of Arran, dreamed of becoming a defence attorney.

She suffered “traumatic neck injuries” in an attack at her LA home and was pronounced dead on September 11, 2025.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives arrested Ms Bunyan’s husband, Jonathan Renteria, on suspicion of murder, disinterment, mutilation, and sexual contact with human remains.

The pair had been married since June 2024 and shared a one-month-old baby, Regina.

June Bunyan's body was repatriated to Scotland last year — June Bunyan’s body was repatriated to Scotland last year GoFundMe

June’s parents confirmed her body had been repatriated to Scotland in October, and a funeral was held on Arran.

However, court documents show Renteria is alleged to have “wilfully and unlawfully” permitted a child “to suffer and to be inflicted with unjustifiable physical pain and mental suffering”.

Renteria, 25, is accused of “injuring, causing, and permitting the person and health of said child to be injured” and “did wilfully cause and permit said child to be placed in such a situation that their person and health were endangered”.

The alleged offence took place on or between September 4 and September 5, in and around the time it was believed June was murdered.

Last year, on the murder charge, his lawyer, Shaheen F. Manshoory, said in a statement he may have been experiencing “a state of psychosis” at the time of the incident.

Glasgow & West

Scots lawyer ‘murdered’ in LA remembered as ‘one of a kind’ at funeral

June Bunyan suffered ‘traumatic neck injuries’ in an attack at her home in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead on September 11.

Renteria was remanded in custody with no bail on June 12 following a pretrial conference. Another pretrial conference is set for September 4. He has pled not guilty to all three counts.

His lawyer and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office were contacted for comment.

Legal fight to bring baby to Scotland

Now, June’s mum, Jill, has launched a legal fight to bring her granddaughter to Scotland.

Sharing the campaign on a GoFundMe, the family in Scotland believes Regina has been placed in the care of Renteria’s parents.

The post read: “For many reasons, this is deeply concerning and should never be the long-term outcome for a child who has already suffered such an unimaginable loss.

June Bunyan had been married since June 2024 to Jonathan Renteria GoFundMe

“We firmly believe that Regina’s best interests lie in being reunited with her maternal family in Scotland, where she can grow up surrounded by love, stability, and a strong connection to her mother’s heritage.

“Achieving this, however, means navigating complex and time-sensitive international family law, something we simply cannot do without experienced legal representation.

“All funds raised will be used solely to pay for an experienced lawyer to challenge the current custody arrangement, and to pursue Regina’s safe return to Scotland. Legal action of this nature is costly, but without proper representation, we have no meaningful way to advocate for Regina’s future or to protect her welfare.”

You can view the family’s fundraiser here.

‘He berated her constantly’

Arielle Miller, Ms Bunyan’s neighbour and friend, previously told STV News that Renteria had made comments about his wife’s weight prior to her death.

She said: “He was verbally abusive to her, berating her about her weight.

Glasgow & West

Scots lawyer filed restraining order against man accused of her murder

June Bunyan had filed for a restraining order against Jonathan Renteria in December 2023 at the Superior Court of California, alleging domestic violence.

“It was a constant thing. He would send her pictures of OnlyFans models and say, ‘Why can’t you look like this?’

“When she got pregnant, he said his ‘muscle mommy’ would be gone because she would gain weight when pregnant.”

According to court papers, Ms Bunyan had filed for a restraining order against Renteria in December 2023 at the Superior Court of California, alleging domestic violence before the pair were married.

Renteria filed a response to the restraining order request on January 17, 2024, in which he said he did not agree with the requested order.

He also claimed Ms Bunyan had contacted him and asked to speak with him in person. She failed to appear in court the following month, and the case was dropped.

Ms Miller told STV News: “It moves me to tears. June was not given dignity in the way [Renteria] disrespected her in life and death.

“She was such a light of a person. Her life can’t be lost in vain. Her memory lives.”