05/08/2026
BUFORD KING SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR THREE MURDERS
On May 8, 2026, Buford Jonathan King (40, of Squaw Valley) was sentenced to an aggregate term of 50 years to life plus life without the possibility of parole in state prison for the murders of three victims between 2011 and 2016. The sentence was imposed by Fresno County Superior Court Judge Alvin Harrell following King’s plea agreement entered on March 3, 2026.
During the course of the investigation and criminal proceedings, King claimed he killed the victims after witnessing or learning of alleged acts of s*xual abuse involving children or vulnerable victims. Those allegations were never adjudicated in court and, in several instances, could not be independently verified by investigators. Regardless of any allegations later raised by the defendant, the criminal justice system does not permit individuals to take the law into their own hands. King ultimately admitted to committing the murders and accepted responsibility for taking the lives of Aleksey Shelest, Donnie Lee, and Albert Contreras.
On May 28, 2016, Aleksey Shelest was reported missing to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office by his sister, who stated she had not heard from him since May 18, 2016.
On November 9, 2016, Donnie Lee was reported missing to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office by a sergeant with the Reedley Police Department after two concerned individuals reported they had not seen Lee since November 1, 2016. The individuals stated Lee had been living with Buford King in Squaw Valley and that the two had argued over money.
On November 22, 2016, an additional witness contacted law enforcement expressing concern for Lee’s welfare. The witness reported learning that Lee had gone to King's property to collect money owed to him and had not been seen since. The witness also reported observing fresh digging on King’s property.
Investigators began parallel missing person’s investigations into the disappearances of Shelest and Lee. Numerous witnesses were interviewed, including King and his girlfriend in January 2017. King claimed the last time he saw Lee was around November 1, 2016.
The investigation remained unresolved until March 2019, when Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jose Diaz received information that King’s girlfriend possessed information regarding the disappearances.
On March 15, 2019, detectives interviewed King’s girlfriend, who stated she came forward after becoming fearful following a recent jail visit with King. She told investigators King threatened to kill her if she ever attempted to leave him.
The witness described multiple holes dug on King’s property and on a neighboring property. She recalled King telling her that Aleksey Shelest had been shot while standing inside one of the holes. She also described hearing a gunshot one evening and later being told by King that Shelest had left the property, leaving behind his dog.
The witness further reported that on November 5, 2016, she heard a gunshot and was later shown Donnie Lee lying on the ground with catastrophic head injuries. She believed Lee had been buried on the neighboring property because the area appeared freshly disturbed and covered the following day.
On March 20, 2019, detectives executed search warrants on both properties in Squaw Valley. On March 26, 2019, investigators located the remains of Aleksey Shelest along with personal belongings, including his phone and wallet. The search for Donnie Lee continued, but his remains were not immediately located.
On April 14, 2019, detectives interviewed King at the Fresno County Jail. King confessed to killing both Shelest and Lee. He identified the location where Shelest had been buried and admitted shooting him on his property.
When questioned about Lee, King indicated Lee had suffered the same fate. He later identified an area where Lee had been buried.
During the interview, detectives asked King whether there were additional victims. King later contacted investigators regarding another homicide in Tulare County.
On April 25, 2019, King provided investigators with information regarding the killing of a man later identified as Albert Contreras. King claimed he encountered Contreras while responding to what he described as an assault involving a young girl at an apartment complex in Visalia in 2011. King admitted strangling Contreras to death, transporting the body, and burying the remains.
Detectives from the Visalia Police Department reviewed missing persons cases from that time period and identified Albert Contreras as a potential match. After being shown a photograph, King positively identified Contreras as the victim.
On April 26, 2019, coordinated searches were conducted in both Visalia and Squaw Valley for the remains of Contreras and Lee. The initial searches were unsuccessful.
On April 27, 2019, investigators transported King to both burial locations. King directed detectives to the burial sites of Contreras and Lee, and the remains of both victims were ultimately recovered.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, and the Visalia Police Department for their extensive investigative work and dedication throughout this complex multi-year homicide investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorneys Liz Owen and David Olmos of the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Unit, with assistance from Commander Derek Scott of the Bureau of Investigations.
Fresno County Sheriff's Office
Tulare County Sheriff's Office
Visalia Police Department
