On a balmy July evening, Elyse, an intelligent and sporty adolescent, received a phone call on her family’s home phone. Although her parents didn’t overhear her conversation, she informed them shortly after that she was going to bed.
Unbeknownst to her parents, she secretly left the house to meet three boys for a marijuana smoking session at a nearby eucalyptus grove. Little did she know the horrors that awaited her.
Having spent three decades in prison for the gruesome murder, two of the perpetrators have been granted parole, while their accomplice remains incarcerated. The trio, who were members of a death metal band named Hatred, confessed that their actions were inspired by the band Slayer, known for its dark lyrics referencing Satanic rituals and necrophilia.
Royce Casey and Jacob Delashmutt, adolescents at the time, participated in a chilling “Satanic ritual” with Joseph Fiorella, targeting their fellow classmate, the 15-year-old Elyse Pahler.
On that fateful evening in 1995, Elyse accompanied Delashmutt and the other boys to the grove near her home. Under the influence of drugs, Delashmutt initiated the attack by strangling Elyse with a belt, while Casey restrained her. Fiorella then repeatedly stabbed her in the neck with a hunting knife.
Subsequently, Delashmutt and Casey took turns assaulting Elyse with the knife, with Casey ultimately silencing her by stomping on her neck. Despite planning further desecration, they ultimately abandoned her in the woods covered in leaves before fleeing.
Following Elyse’s disappearance, her parents reported her missing, but law enforcement initially assumed she had run away, neglecting to conduct a thorough search.
In a parole board statement in 2021, Casey acknowledged his culpability in the crime and described his efforts towards rehabilitation during his incarceration. He revealed that initially, they glorified their actions, believing they would be rewarded by the Devil.
Casey also highlighted the profound influence of death metal music on their behavior, citing its themes of violence and Satanism. Over time, guilt consumed Casey, leading him to disclose the crime to a pastor, who then alerted the authorities.
Both Casey and Delashmutt pleaded no contest to the murder and received lengthy prison sentences, while Fiorella, still imprisoned, has attempted to challenge his conviction.
Despite Elyse’s parents’ legal attempts to hold Slayer accountable for their daughter’s death, their efforts were unsuccessful. The family has endured immense emotional turmoil since Elyse’s tragic murder.
Elyse’s father, David, expressed profound remorse for not intervening on the night of the incident. He continues to attend parole hearings, urging for justice for his daughter.
Delashmutt, after years of denial, has acknowledged his pivotal role in the crime and the devastation inflicted on the Pahler family. He expressed deep regret and a desire to take responsibility for his actions.
Fiorella, the remaining incarcerated perpetrator, has not participated in parole hearings and has strived to overturn his conviction, despite being deemed a continued threat by authorities due to his history of violence.
The district attorney’s office has emphasized Fiorella’s dangerous nature and asserted that he poses a significant risk to society, warranting his continued imprisonment.