Attorneys ask for more time to reach plea agreement for Jepsy Kallungi’s husband, accused killer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Attorneys on both sides asked an El Paso County judge Tuesday for more time to reach a plea deal for 39-year-old Dane Kallungi, who's facing first-degree murder charges in the death of his wife, Jepsy.

Jepsy was just 26 years old when she vanished from her Colorado Springs home in late March of 2019. Family and friends reported her missing after not hearing from her for several days. She moved to the Springs from the Philippines after falling in love with Dane to get married. She didn't have friends or family in town, so the Filipino community stepped up to lead search efforts and push for justice. A woman named Rachel Jackson even reached out to Jepsy's mom, thousands of miles away, to keep her in the loop.

Then, in June of 2021, police announced they arrested her husband Dane for her murder. Arrest documents detail his conversations with his previous wife, saying he strangled Jepsy after getting in a fight and then buried her body off a backroad in Florissant.

Despite searching roads in Florissant, investigators still have not found Jepsy's remains.

Jackson is hoping prosecutors don't allow Dane to accept a plea agreement until he leads them to Jepsy's body, she said she'll even drive through Florissant sometimes hoping to see something.

"Knowing that her body is somewhere in that place… I feel like closer to finding her body. That's how I feel," Jackson said. "So, I just stay positive. Keep hoping, you know, that she'll be back soon, that her body will be found soon."

Kallungi is expected back in court in early March for an update on plea negotiations. He's facing a first-degree murder charge, and if he doesn't reach a deal and ends up going to trial, he's facing life behind bars if convicted.