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A man from Washington is facing serious allegations after being charged with the murder of his girlfriend and allegedly discarding her body in a river.
On March 20, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Juan Manuel Delgado Jr. had been apprehended on second-degree murder charges related to the death of Krista Hunt, his girlfriend.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by Oxygen, Delgado recounted to investigators that the last time he saw Krista was on January 27. He claimed they had an argument in his truck, which led her to insist that he pull over on State Route 20 in Concrete to let her out.
Missing person reports were filed days later, on February 1, by Krista’s mother, Pamela Hunt, after her attempts to contact her daughter were unsuccessful.
Krista Hunt’s Mother Alleged Her Daughter Was Being Abused
In an interview with KING 5, Pamela disclosed that shortly before Krista vanished, she had taken her daughter to the hospital, claiming Krista had been abused by her boyfriend.
“She did in fact have a broken leg. She said he had boot-stomped her leg and her chest,” Pamela told the station. “She said one time he set a timer and told her he was going to hit her every 15 minutes.”
Pamela elaborated on the abuse allegations in a GoFundMe launched to help find her missing daughter, saying Krista had also been “strangled” and had “two black eyes.”
“Doctors warned that if she was strangled again,” she wrote, “she might not survive.”
Investigators later obtained medical records, per the probable cause statement, connected to the December 2025 hospital visit, which showed Krista also told the medical staff that she’d been abused by a “known perpetrator.”
“She had been slapped in the head, choked, kicked, and punched,” the court documents read. “She expressed pain in her left chest and right leg. She said while she was being choked, she almost passed out. Krista also reported skin injuries from a lighter being used to injure her.”
She also told the hospital staff she’d been “dragged across the road,” hit with a belt and “punched in the face,” per the court records.
Medical tests confirmed she’d been been asphyxiated, had a fracture in her right fibula, broken ribs, and contusions on her face and legs, per the court records.
She told the hospital staff that she did not want to report the alleged abuse to law enforcement authorities.
Juan Manuel Delgado Jr. Shot Himself in the Face
According to the probable cause statement, deputies went to talk with Juan’s mother, identified only as Alice, on February 3. She told investigators that she’d last seen Krista getting into her son’s truck at a towing company.
A few minutes after deputies left, she called 911 to report that her son shot himself in the face at a tavern she was remodeling in Concrete.
“Juan had laid plastic sheeting down on the floor in the basement area of the tavern. Alice went downstairs after speaking with deputies and wrestled a .22 revolver styled pistol (registered to Alice) from Juan,” authorities wrote. “Juan received injuries to his left cheek. As he received treatment by medical aid, he said, ‘I miss Krista.’”
Witness Reports Seeing Juan Delgado’s Vehicle Stopped
As the search for Krista continued, investigators talked with two witnesses who reported that Juan allegedly came to a property on Jan. 27 and was “very distraught, crying and was described as violently sobbing.” He also claimed that while he and Krista were fighting she got hit by a car, authorities noted in the court documents.
Investigators also spoke with a paramedic who reported finding a black GMC Sierra unoccupied along State Route 20 on Jan. 26 with its flashers on. Juan was found at the scene and claimed he’d been having vehicle issues, yet he “appeared to be wet,” per the affidavit. He claimed he had been washing up in a nearby creek.
Investigators continued to search the area near where the vehicle had been stopped, per the probable cause statement, and discovered human remains in Skagit River on March 12. Days later, on March 18, the sheriff’s office confirmed the remains belonged to Krista.
Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson said in a statement to Oxygen that no cause or manner of death has been determined in the case, which “remains under active investigation.”
The probable cause statement reported Krista had “traumatic injuries to include multiple broken or fractured ribs, multiple broken spinous processes, and a broken jaw.”
Investigators also found blood inside the vehicle Juan drove, along with damage to a side mirror, authorities said.
“Injuries sustained by Krista were reported to have been caused by great force,” a detective noted in the probable cause statement citing the autopsy findings,”and that it was possible to sustain such injuries if she had been struck by a vehicle.”
Where is Juan Delgado Now?
Juan is currently being held at the Skagit County jail on a $1 million bond, according to records reviewed by Oxygen. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges against him March 26.
After an initial appearance in court, Krista’s brother Rand Hunt told KING 5 that her death has been difficult for the entire family.
“I can’t imagine the pain my mom is going through right now,” he said. “I know the pain I’m going through. And it’s hard … He stole 60 years of my relationship with Krista.”
Oxygen reached out to Juan’s attorney, but did not receive an immediate response.