Jason Race shown at the Luzerne County Courthouse on Wednesday. Ed Lewis | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — The man who detectives say gave the fatal kick to Nicole Cuevas pled guilty to his role in the Michigan woman’s murder at the South Wilkes-Barre residence on Carlisle Street known as the “House of Horrors.”
Jason Race, 45, entered guilty pleas to first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy for killing Cuevas, 38, and did not contest an aggravated assault offense for beating Anthony Cook in July 2023.
The body of Cuevas, of Saginaw, Mich., was found buried in the dirt basement of 142 Carlisle St., on Feb. 27, 2024, while Cook was kept against his will in the same basement and beaten until he escaped on July 27, 2023.
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce previously said Cuevas and Desiree Linnette, 45, traveled from Michigan to Wilkes-Barre in February 2023. Cuevas wanted to return to Michigan but was tortured in the house for a month until, according to court records, Race stomped on her head killing her during an escape attempt in late April 2023.
Sanguedolce along with Assistant District Attorney Gerry Scott presented the separate plea agreements for Race before Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. on Wednesday.
After carefully reviewing the plea agreements and advising Race of his constitutional rights, Sklarosky accepted Race’s plea agreements that were negotiated with his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Stephen W. Palubinsky.
Prosecutors withdrew their effort at seeking the death penalty for Race, who waived his appellate rights in the plea agreements.
Race could face life in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced April 8.
Race is the second defendant to plea guilty to Cuevas’ murder.
Sarai Kamalani Doyle, 25, Linnette’s daughter, pled guilty to third-degree murder for her role in Cuevas’ murder, including a separate third-degree murder acceptance for killing Debra Fox, 69, inside a hotel room at the Host Inn on Kidder Street, Wilkes-Barre, and discarding Fox’s body down an embankment in January 2025.
Linnette, Faith Beamer, 41, and William Benjamin Wolfe, 56, face criminal homicide cases for Cuevas’ murder in court, while Linnette is further facing homicide charges for Fox’s tortured death.
Fox previously owned the Carlisle Street residence, which she lost at a county tax sale.
Linnette claimed to be the caregiver for Fox, but transferred Fox’s Social Security income to her personal account, court records say.
When Linnette was approved for low-income housing in Edwardsville, court records say, she killed Fox inside the hotel room and Doyle used a luggage cart to move Fox’s body that was thrown down an embankment behind the hotel.