New details in ‘House of Horrors’ investigation

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — New details are emerging regarding the investigation into the homicide of a woman whose body was found buried in a Wilkes-Barre home described by police as a “House of Horrors.”

Plus, the probe into the death of Debra Fox, the longtime owner of that home is moving forward so says the District Attorney.

In February the remains of a woman were found buried in the basement of the home and a month later the body of the longtime owner of that home was found in a wooded area.

28/22 News is learning more disturbing details about what police say happened inside 142 Carlisle Street. According to court documents, the former owner 69-year-old Debra Fox filed a protection from abuse order (PFA) last August against Jason Race, who lived here with Fox and was one of the five accused in the homicide of Nicole Cuevas.

It was filed in August of 2023 three months before she went missing.

Her body was found in late March in a wooded area of the North Cross Valley Expressway in Wilkes-Barre.

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Her death is still under investigation and no one has been charged in connection with her death.

Fox writes in the PFA that Race threatened to kill me shot with a BB gun and held a knife to my throat. In another part of the PFA Fox alleged that race kept her locked in her bedroom and forced her to do drugs and weed.

Race is one of five people accused of torturing and killing 38-year-old Nicole Cuevas and burying her body in the basement of the home. According to the PFA, Jason Race is a blood relative of Fox it’s unclear how he is related to her.

District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce says the Fox death investigation is moving forward.

“It is not yet being called a homicide. Her body was in such a state of decomposition we are still investigating the cause and manner of death. Obviously, it’s very suspicious to us and we believe it’s linked to Carlisle Street home after we found Nicole Cuevas’s body buried in the basement,” said DA Sanguedolce.

For people who live in this neighborhood, this is almost too much to believe.

“How safe are we really? You know we lock our doors we think we are safe. How safe are we,” said Tish Lester a neighbor.

Tish Lester has lived next to 142 Carlise Street for much of her life. She still can’t believe what the police say happened inside the place.

“I was happy when the house went up for sheriff’s sale. I thought they were going to fix it up. but I didn’t know this was all going to come out when they went in there to clean it up but what are you going to do,” explained Lester.

In February police found the remains of 38-year-old Nicole Cuevas investigators say she was handcuffed to a basement post and tortured over the course of several weeks in April of 2023.

Five people were charged this week with her murder they are William Wolfe, Desiree Linnette, her daughter Sarai Doyle, Jason Race, and Faith Beamer.

A neighbor who did not want to be identified voiced her concern for her safety.

“It’s all just so unreal to be like it’s too close to home. I grew up here two doors down. I never would have thought something like this would happen,” stated the neighbor.

No one has been charged in connection with the death of Debra Fox.

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