California sex slave Jessica Lopez, who was sentenced to prison for the 2012 S&M murder of Brittany Killgore, now claims she is innocent and only confessed to keep her husband and wife “master” and “mistress” out of prison

A willing California “sex slave” who confessed to the 2012 murder of a woman kidnapped by her “masters” has withdrawn her confession, saying she should be released – but a court on Tuesday ordered her to remain locked up remains.

Jessica Lopez wrote a seven-page confession letter after 22-year-old Brittany Killgore’s body was found near Lake Skinner in Riverside County, California, on April 17, 2012.

Lopez, then 25, went to a Ramada Inn hotel in San Diego and attempted suicide, leaving the letter behind.

She was found and resuscitated by doctors and then arrested.

Lopez’s letter announced the arrest of her “master,” Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Ray Perez, then 45, and his pregnant girlfriend Dorothy Maraglino, then 40, whom Lopez described as her “mistress.” The trio had a three-way relationship in which Lopez wore a dog collar and ate from a dog bowl.

Jessica Lopez, who said she was a willing “sex slave” for Louis Perez and Dorothy Maraglino, is pictured in court for her sentencing in November 2015. On Tuesday, she lost her attempt to overturn her murder conviction

A pregnant Dorothy Maraglino is pictured in June 2012 after her arrest for the murder of Brittany Killgore. Her partner Louis Perez (right) is pictured at his trial in March 2013

Killgore was kidnapped by Louis Perez, a Marine whom she knew through her husband, Cory Killgore, who was also a Marine

Brittany and Cory Killgore. He was in Afghanistan when she was murdered: she had filed for divorce two weeks before her death

Killgore’s husband, Cory Killgore, was a Marine and knew Perez and Maraglino through her husband.

She had filed for divorce just days before her disappearance while Cory was serving in Afghanistan. She was packing up to move to Missouri when Perez approached her and offered to help if she would go on a dinner cruise with him.

Perez then kidnapped Killgore and forced her into a sexual bondage and torture session before she was strangled and thrown into a ditch.

All three – Perez, Maraglino and Lopez – were sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for Killgore’s murder.

But Lopez wanted to take advantage of a 2018 law change that stipulated that accomplices who were not the actual killers or who did not play a significant role in the killing should not be charged with murder.

Last week, Lopez changed her story, telling a judge that she was not involved in the murder but wrote down the confession because she was at the behest of her “master” and her “mistress.”

Sloan Ostbye, Lopez’s attorney, said in court last week that Lopez was a willing “slave” and wrote the confession letter to spare her “master” and “mistress.”

“She was manipulated, exploited and asked to take responsibility for the crime,” Ostbye said, according to the report San Diego Union-Tribune.

Lopez told the court, “Slaves don’t ask questions. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.”

Jessica Lopez is pictured speaking to her lawyer in court in June 2012

Lopez said she and Maraglino were at a grocery store while Perez kidnapped Killgore, but forgot her wallet so went home to get it and found a “distracted” Perez.

Lopez returned to the store and Perez texted Maraglino to come home.

The two women returned home and Maraglino went into the house and told Lopez to wait in the car.

Lopez said she waited in the car, then took the grocery bags and went into the garage, which had been converted into her bedroom.

In the room she saw a woman on her knees, her head on the floor and her face turned away.

Lopez said the woman had duct tape wrapped around her head.

Lopez said Perez and Maraglino were also in the room talking and ordered Lopez to go upstairs.

She obeyed and spent the evening alone watching a movie.

Brittany Killgore was forced into a BDSM session by Perez and Maraglino while Lopez was upstairs, Lopez now says

The next day, Perez ordered her to help dispose of Killgore’s body.

Ostbye argued that Lopez was brainwashed as a willing sex slave by Perez and Maraglino.

She ate from a dog bowl, wore a collar and participated in their bondage, discipline, dominance and submission sessions.

“She was willing to get cut, get tattooed, eat out of bowls and was even willing to kill herself,” Ostbye said.

“She was so controlled and brainwashed that she did what she was told.”

However, on Tuesday, the judge concluded that Lopez was instrumental in the murder and therefore the conviction should stand.

“He had an understanding of the lifestyle between these participants, the BDSM lifestyle and the violence that was carried out in the home,” San Diego Assistant District Attorney Patrick Espinoza said in explaining the judge’s decision.

“And he was able to use that evidence to conclude that not only was she a major player, but she also had a reckless disregard for human life.”

Maraglino has also requested that her murder conviction be overturned under the new law. 10 news reported. A court date for her hearing has not been set.