SAN DIEGO (CN) - After killing his girlfriend in Panama and hiding her body, a Southern California man calmly flew home and proposed to another woman, federal prosecutors say in an indictment unsealed Thursday.
A grand jury returned the sealed indictment against Brian Karl Brimager on June 13.
According to the 10-page document, Brimager, 37, of Vista, and Yvonne Baldelli, of Dana Point, dated for two years.
Then, "On September 26, 2011, Brimager and Baldelli flew from California to Bocas Del Toro, Panama ('Bocas'). Baldelli brought along her two high quality sewing machines, her King Charles Spaniel Georgia Mae, and her white Sony VAIO laptop computer," the indictment states.
It continues: "Upon arrival in Bocas, Brimager and Baldelli rented a room in 'Casa De Sapo,' a small hostel located on Isla Carenero. Isla Carenero is a small island near Bocas reachable only by water taxi or private boat.
"Casa De Sapo, comprised of only five units, was run by an on-site manager. The manager placed Brimager and Baldelli in the unit immediately next door to her own unit and quickly established a close, personal relationship with both Brimager and Baldelli.
"Almost immediately upon arrival and beginning no later October 2011, Brimager began emailing another girlfriend ('K.W.'), the mother of his young daughter. In these emails, Brimager discussed plans to move back to California to live with K.W. and help raise their daughter. The emails do not mention Baldelli.
"Beginning in or before mid-October and continuing through late-November 2011, Brimager began fighting with and physically abusing Baldelli. These altercations resulted in yelling and loud noises in the couple's room. During these fights, Brimager struck Baldelli causing bruising around her eyes and on her arms.
"In November 2011, Brimager sent a series of emails to K.W., his mother, and a friend from the Marine Corps. In these emails, Brimager indicated that he was getting bored with life in Bocas and was planning to return to California in short order. Once again, these emails do not mention Baldelli.
"On November 24, 2011, the hostel manager broke her leg. While she was being treated in a hospital in Changuinola, Panama, she asked Brimager and Baldelli to watch over the hostel. During this time period, no one lived next door to Brimager and Baldelli.
"On the evening of November 26, 2011, Brimager and Baldelli went to Carlos' Steakhouse, a bar and restaurant in Bocas. Brimager and Baldelli left the bar together.
"In or about the late evening hours of November 26 or the early morning hours of November 27, 2011, Brimager killed Baldelli and disposed of her body in an unknown location."
Brimager disposed of Baldelli's King Charles Spaniel in some unknown manner, according to the indictment.
It adds: "On November 27, 2011, at approximately 10:30 in the morning, Brimager used Baldelli's Sony VAIO laptop to conduct two Internet searches within 30 seconds of each other: one for 'washing mattress' and then one for 'washing mattress blood stain.' Brimager conducted these searches in an effort to clean up a mattress after his killing of Baldelli. Brimager could not clean the mattress, however, and threw it in the ocean. Brimager then purchased a new mattress and told the hotel manager that he had thrown the old one in the ocean because his dog had urinated on it."
Later that day, Brimager withdrew money from Baldelli's bank accounts, in accordance with his cover story that Baldelli had left him for a man named Tony Gonzalez and traveled to Costa Rica, according to the indictment.
"From November 27, 2011 until on or about November 29, 2011, Brimager disposed of physical evidence of his crime, including putting personal items belonging to Baldelli in approximately 10 large trash bags," the indictment states. "Brimager placed these bags on the hostel's dock for disposal. The bags contained, among other things, Baldelli's clothing, cosmetics and jewelry.
"On November 29, 2011, Brimager accessed Baldelli's personal email account. At around 9:15 that morning, Brimager, pretending to be Baldelli, emailed Baldelli's sister, Michelle Valenzuela, and falsely stated that 'she' (Baldelli) had broken up with Brimager and was headed to Costa Rica with a man named Tony Gonzales."
Brimager wrote another email from Baldelli's account to the hotel manager, giving away her two sewing machines, and wrote one from his own account to Baldelli pretending that she had left him, the indictment states.
"On December 10, 2011, Brimager flew back to the United States with a layover in Costa Rica. The following day, while still in Costa Rica, Brimager, again pretending to be Baldelli, composed and sent an email from Baldelli's personal email account to one of Baldelli's friends. The email falsely claimed that 'she' (Baldelli) was in Costa Rica travelling and 'having a great time,'" according to the indictment.
Brimager withdrew another $200 from Baldelli's account while he was in Costa Rica, and later checked her email account "while on his layover at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia," the indictment states.
It continues: "On December 12, 2011, at approximately 9:00 in the evening, Brimager landed in San Diego and was picked up at the airport by K.W. He proposed to her two days later and they married shortly thereafter.
"On December 13 2011, Brimager sent an email to Valenzuela from his own Yahoo! account stating that he would make arrangements to pick up his truck, which was parked at her house."
At that time, Valenzuela, the dead woman's sister, told Brimager she was thinking about filing a missing persons report, but he told her to let him contact Baldelli first, according to the indictment.
"On December 20, 2011, at approximately 5:30 in the evening, Brimager sent an email from his own Yahoo! account to Baldelli's account pretending that she was alive and asking her to contact her sister, Valenzuela. Brimager included Valenzuela on this email as a blind carbon copy or 'bcc.'
"Approximately 30 minutes later, Brimager, pretending to be Baldelli, composed and sent an email from Baldelli's personal email account to Valenzuela. The email falsely indicated that 'she' (Baldelli) was fine and 'missed talking to mom.' The email also included the text from Brimager's earlier unsent email about the Festival De La Luz.
"As a result of the email purportedly from Baldelli, Valenzuela delayed filing the missing persons report she had discussed with Brimager the day before," the indictment states.
Brimager sent another email a week later, telling Baldelli's sister that "she" hoped to return home in January 2012, according to the indictment.
On March 21, 2012, Brimager lied repeatedly to the FBI, the indictment states.
He is charged with 10 counts of obstruction of justice, and an eleventh, of false statements to a federal officer.
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