Chastity Milenewicz

Chastity Milenewicz, a 47-year-old White woman, was a resident of Redding, California. On September 2, 2025, she and her 29-year-old son, Anthony Ray Penta, were killed in a family tragedy that unfolded at their home.

On that Tuesday afternoon, police were dispatched to a residence on the 10000 block of Abernathy Lane. A deputy coroner arrived at the scene around 2:30 p.m. Emergency personnel found Chastity and Anthony had been shot and, despite life-saving efforts, both were pronounced deceased at the scene. The Shasta County Coroner’s Office later formally identified them and confirmed that their next-of-kin had been notified.

The investigation quickly focused on Chastity’s other son, 31-year-old Jesse Anthony Penta. According to police, Jesse Penta called dispatchers himself to report that he had shot two people. He was still at the home when officers arrived and was arrested at the scene. He was booked into the Shasta County Jail on two counts of murder.

Jesse Penta’s case proceeded to Shasta County Court, where he was appointed a public defender. Early in the proceedings, his attorney raised questions about his mental competency to stand trial. This led to a series of court-ordered psychological evaluations. In January 2026, the evaluation process was restarted after a judge determined that the first two doctors appointed had been given too much information to properly assess his mental fitness.

After eventually being found competent, Jesse Penta pleaded not guilty in April 2026 to two counts of murder with special allegations, including murder for financial gain. For a time, he chose to represent himself and requested a speedy trial. By June, however, he had requested a new lawyer, who was appointed by the court. He subsequently added a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Due to the new plea and the need for further mental evaluations, the legal proceedings have been delayed multiple times. A trial scheduled for October 2026 was vacated. As of late 2026, the case remained pending while Jesse Penta underwent additional examinations to determine his mental state at the time of the killings.