Kansas Commune Leader Gets Life in Jail

Daniel Perez, the leader of a Kansas commune who allegedly drowned a member to death 12 years ago in order to collect life insurance, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday. 55-year-old Perez was charged with murdering Patricia Hughes in 2003, sexual exploitation of a child, and 26 other counts, including rape. “The evidence conclusively shows that Mr. Perez used people as mere objects to fulfill his desire for money, sex and a lavish lifestyle,” Sedgwick County District Judge Joseph Bribiesca said. “It is just that he serve the maximum sentence.”