In the summer of 1995, 15-year-old Elyse Marie Pahler disappeared from her home in Arroyo Grande, California. Friends said she was lively, creative and full of life. She even made her own clothes and had big dreams for her future but one night, her life came to a sudden and violent end.
Elyse went to Arroyo Grande High School where she knew three other students: Royce Casey, Jacob Delashmutt and Joseph Fiorella. These boys were fans of heavy metal music, especially Slayer, and had even formed their own band called Hatred.
Among them, Fiorella was most fixated on the band’s lyrics and ideas. He later said he felt the music influenced what he thought about life and death.
By mid-July of that year, the group had a dark plan. They targeted Elyse to kill her, believing the act would serve as a “sacrifice” that might somehow help their band. They specifically chose her because she was young, blonde, and — in their twisted view — a “virgin.”
The Murder in the Eucalyptus Grove
On July 22, 1995, Elyse left her house believing she was going to hang out and smoke marijuana with the boys. Instead, they led her into a grove of eucalyptus trees on Nipomo Mesa — a quiet, remote spot not far from town.
Once there, the attack began. Delashmutt used a belt to strangle her, and Fiorella pulled out a hunting knife and stabbed her neck. Then Casey and Delashmutt stabbed her again in the neck and back.
Elyse didn’t die right away. Court records later said she cried out and struggled, and that Casey stomped on the back of her neck while she was still alive. All of this was part of what one official called “one of the most brutal and horrific murders in the history of San Luis Obispo County.”
After they believed she was dead, the boys discussed doing horrible things to her body, since they had previously discussed sexually assaulting her corpse. At one point, Delashmutt began to remove her pants, but Casey insisted they stop and leave. They buried her in a shallow grave and walked away.
How the Crime Came to Light
Elyse’s family was desperate to find her. For eight months, her disappearance remained a mystery. Police assumed she’d run away, and her parents lived in constant fear. Then Casey broke down. Wracked with guilt, he confessed to his pastor and told him what happened.
The pastor contacted police, and Casey guided detectives to Elyse’s remains. The discovery stunned the small community. By that point, her body was partially mummified.
All three boys were arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit rape, among other counts. Because the body was so decomposed, officials could not determine whether she had been sexually assaulted.
In court, a lead investigator said the three believed killing Elyse would give them “more craziness … to play harder, play faster,” and that they thought it would make them better musicians.
Trial, Convictions, and Lawsuits
In 1997, Casey, Delashmutt, and Fiorella each pleaded no contest or were convicted of first-degree murder. They were all given 25 years to life in prison.
After the trial, David and Lisanne Pahler sued heavy metal band Slayer, claiming the band’s lyrics encouraged their daughter’s murder. The lawsuit argued songs like “Altar of Sacrifice” and “Dead Skin Mask” provided “instructions” for killing her.
Both lawsuits were dismissed by judges, who said there was no legal basis to blame the band for the crime.
Even one of the killers, Delashmutt, later told The Washington Post, “The music is destructive … but that’s not why Elyse was murdered. She was murdered because Joe [Fiorella] was obsessed with her and obsessed with killing her.”
For decades, Elyse’s murder stayed in the public eye. Her family fought hard against any parole for the men who killed her.
Royce Casey faced multiple parole hearings. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom denied his release, and in 2024 the governor again reversed a parole board decision, saying Casey still posed a danger to society.
But in 2025, things changed. After years of hearings, two of the men, Casey and Delashmutt, were granted parole and released from prison nearly 30 years after the killing.
The decisions sparked strong reactions in the community, with many saying the crime was too awful to let them go free. Fiorella, the third man, remains incarcerated and is eligible for parole again in June 2026, according to Court House News.
