Slain Teen's Body Showed Methamphetamine, Morphine, Marijuana; Barona Case Goes Back to Court

An autopsy showed slain teen Christopher Carioscia's body contained methamphetamine, morphine and marijuana when authorities discovered his remains on the Barona Indian Reservation. Carioscia, 17, was found shot to death on the reservation on Dec. 4.

A readiness conference for the man accused of slaying the El Capitan High School student will be held today at the El Cajon courthouse.

Carioscia’s body was found near Barona Speedway. The teen had been shot from behind several times, in the back, shoulder and thigh, according to the autopsy report.

Stanley Virgil Lloyd Jr. was arrested March 4 at his Lakeside home on the reservation. The 19-year-old has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder. If convicted, he faces a possible prison term of 50 years to life, according to the complaint in the case file.

A readiness conference, sometimes called a settlement conference, is a discussion among the judge, prosecution and defense regarding the facts of the case. Sometimes it ends in a case being settled by a plea bargain.

Carioscia called his mother on the night of Oct. 26 to tell her that he was going to Barona Casino to visit friends, according to the autopsy report. He never returned home to Santee that night, and authorities said his burned-out car was found the next day on the tribal grounds. His body was discovered more than five weeks later, on Dec. 4.

Toxicological tests on Carioscia’s body revealed methamphetamine, marijuana and morphine. The autopsy report notes that morphine is both a metabolite of heroin and a medication.

Three Barona Casino matchbooks and a lighter were found in Carioscia’s pockets, the autopsy report notes.

When Lloyd appeared at his March 8 arraignment via closed circuit television, reporters were asked to blur the image of his face. He cried uncontrollably when he heard that his family was present in the courtroom. Carioscia’s family and some El Capitan students also attended.

The case file indicates that the prosecutor will seek the revocation of probation at the preliminary hearing. According to a report by The San Diego Union-Tribune, Lloyd pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor for shooting a woman in the legs with a shotgun a year earlier.

The preliminary hearing for the homicide trial is scheduled for May 31. Lloyd was denied bail and is being held in custody pending his trial.

One of Carioscia’s relatives, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters outside the courtroom that the teenager was “a very caring person” who “got in with the wrong crowd.” She said she wanted people to know that just because he had made bad decisions in the last year “and there may be drugs involved … it doesn’t mean that at the age of 17 that he didn’t have his entire life to turn it around.” She noted that there are facilities to help teenagers make better choices.

Carioscia's body was found near Skunk Creek, according to the autopsy report. The medical examiner arrived at the scene via Wildcat Canyon Road near the mile 10 marker, then had to hike in. The report notes that there were no other signs of human activity at the scene, such as bottles or drug paraphernalia.

Barona and Lakeside fire departments responded to the burning vehicle, a 1996 Honda Accord, registered to Carioscia's mother, Monika Pyskata, the report states. It was found on Dump Road in the Lakeside area.