The Misery Machine - The Case of Isabel Celis

Starting point is 00:00:00 Isabel Mercédez-Celis was born on August 27, 2005, to parents Rebecca and Sergio of Tucson, Arizona, who would later separate. She was described as a happy, humorous, and friendly little girl. She had long brown hair that she liked to wear in braids, hazel eyes, and a wide, cheeky smile. She went by the nickname Issa and dressed up as a witch for Halloween. In 2012, Issa was six years old and was a student at the Academy of Tuesday. where she played on the Little League baseball team. She had two older brothers who were aged 10 and 14 at the time of our story. On Saturday, April 21st, 2012,

Starting point is 00:00:40 Issa was reported missing from her father's home on the 5,600 block of East 12th Street, a pleasant middle-class neighborhood of residential homes, bordered by a shopping mall and a Catholic church. Her father told police that she had gone to bed at 11 p.m. Friday night. Said he went to wake her up at 8 a.m. on Saturday to go to a baseball game, but he found her bed to be empty. Her bedroom window was open and the blind was pushed to the side. However, there was no broken glass.

Starting point is 00:01:06 His family searched the house before calling 911. During the call, Sergio can be heard calmly explaining to the operator that he needed to report a missing person, that he thought his daughter had been abducted. He told the operator that he believed his daughter had been snatched through a window that was found open and the screen removed. He then said that his two sons were out looking for their sister and that his wife Rebecca was on her way home from work.

Starting point is 00:01:29 One brother could be heard crying and asking police to hurry because his sister was missing. Rebecca then came on the call and broke down as she explained that she went to work at 7 a.m., but did not go to check on her. Police immediately began an investigation, calling the case a suspicious disappearance slash possible abduction. Multiple agencies including the Pima County Sheriff's Department, Tucson Fire Department, FBI, and the U.S. Marshal's Service were involved. in the initial investigation, which included serving several search warrants in the area. A special FBI canine was also brought in to assist with a search.

Starting point is 00:02:06 A missing person's flyer for Issa described her as three foot eight inches tall, weighing 44 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She had one missing top tooth and one missing bottom tooth. She was last seen wearing a blue tank top in navy blue basketball shorts. Over the weekend, about 150 to 200 people have. had joined the search for the missing girl. A two and a half mile radius around the home was the initial search area. As part of standard protocol, all known offenders living in a three mile radius were interviewed

Starting point is 00:02:38 by investigators. On Sunday afternoon, Tucson police chief Roberto Villasenior explained that the diverse terrain of the area made the search much more complex and anticipated, as they had to search around residential homes, open desert, and commercial buildings. He said, there could be a numerous. places where they could be hidden or evidence could be found. Investigators were reaching out to area businesses to see if surveillance cameras might have any clues. Searchers were also sent to the landfill to hunt through garbage removed from the neighborhood before the area was locked down.

Starting point is 00:03:11 Chief Vesignor was optimistic that the search would be finished in a couple of days. He said, I wouldn't call this a high crime area at all. He could not comment on the condition of Issa's bedroom, but did say, We have a location where we think that could be a possible location of entry. There's also questions that we're looking into on that. The family has been cooperating with us, but we're not ruling out anything of this investigation. Despite the possibility that this was an abduction case, it did not meet the federally set criteria for an Amber Alert, which requires a specific description of the possible subject, vehicle, or direction of travel,

Starting point is 00:03:48 none of which were known. According to the chief, we don't have an actual piece of. of evidence that points us in one direction or another. So, for example, we don't have a piece of evidence that says she was definitively taken from the residence. Don't have any specific piece of evidence that tells us she left the residence on her own. Issa's parents did not speak to the media right away, but her uncle, Justin Master Marino, spoke on behalf of their family. They had no doubt that Issa had been taken by a stranger. He said, you don't think anything like that would actually really happen to you. And all of a sudden, you wake up one.

Starting point is 00:04:23 morning and you're in that scenario. Everything goes through your mind. You're angry, you're upset, you're frustrated, you're confused. Described Issa as just a sweet little girl. All the ambition in the world, she could do whatever she wanted. On Sunday evening, about 200 people gathered in Midtown for a vigil, praying for Issa's safe return. However, on Wednesday, the police announced that they were scaling back the search. Chief Villasenor said, it doesn't mean we've abandoned in the search. We just have scaled back some of our personnel. We've accomplished the majority of the search of the sites we wanted to visit. We are now concentrating our search on maybe some focal points where we're hoping we'll have a little bit more success. He said they were still following

Starting point is 00:05:09 up on about 300 tips. He said, we have not received a ransom note of any kind, but of course we have to take into consideration the possibility of an abduction. But we also have to look at it from the you point that maybe it's not, and we have to look at other things. The chief said the case is the highest profile case in the nation for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and information about her case was posted on America's Most Wanted. The neighborhood where Issa lived was reopened to the public, and her family was allowed back in their home. Washnaires were handed out in the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen anything unusual or heard anything suspicious, even dogs barking at a strange hour. The Celest's next door neighbor,

Starting point is 00:05:52 reported that she heard male voices outside early on the morning that Issa disappeared, but didn't think anything of it until she heard that Issa was missing. His family originally offered a $6,000 reward for information that would help find their daughter. Then the amount went up to $30,000. Lisa's parents finally spoke to the media at a press conference, making tearful pleas in English and Spanish for the safe return of their daughter. Attendees wore matching T-shirts that read, Bring Issa home.

Starting point is 00:06:20 His father, Sergio, begged, please. please, to the person or persons who have Issa, tell us your demands. Tell us what you want. We will do anything for her. He then spoke to his missing daughter saying, We miss you so much, and we will never give up. We will never give up looking for you. Police released video footage of a group of people, three women and two men,

Starting point is 00:06:41 seen walking through the parking lot of a nearby Catholic Church between 1 and 1.30 a.m. on Saturday. They hoped this group of people would come forward as potential witnesses. Eventually, multiple people from the video did come forward to be interviewed by investigators, and the police said that they were reviewing those statements. In addition, the police were asking anyone who may have photographs and video taken during a little league game at Freedom Park on April 20th to call 911. Issa's family attended a game in which Issa's brother played, and it's possible that someone's video might contain some clues.

Starting point is 00:07:13 Investigators also asked the public to come forward if someone they knew had been behaving differently around the time that Isabel disappeared. Some of the things to look out for, according to the police, included the following. The person may have mis-scheduled appointments, work, or other normal activities during the day on Saturday. The person may have disappeared for a period of hours or even days or may have left the area entirely since last weekend. The person may have exhibited some noticeable behavioral changes.

Starting point is 00:07:39 For example, the person may have been more nervous, irritable, or secretive than normal. The person may display an unusual interest in the media coverage of Issa's disappearance or conversely may not want to discuss the investigation. The person may have unexpectedly cleaned, painted, or altered his vehicle. As the search for Issa dragged onwards with no leads, national attention began to focus on her parents. Now, if you followed our channel for any length of time, you'd know just how often the perpetrators in missing children's cases ends up being one or both of the parents. Many people wanted to know why Rebecca and Sergio had only made one public,

Starting point is 00:08:17 statement so far about their missing daughter. Celebrity commentator Nancy Grace, then a news anchor at CNN headline news, asked, why is this a single appearance the parents have made? Why are they not reaching out for help for the return of their daughter? Finally, in early May, Issa's parents sat down for an interview with the Today Show. During the interview with Anne Curry,

Starting point is 00:08:41 they said that they were desperate to find their daughter, but didn't want to be the target of the investigation and were frustrated that the police, were focusing on them. Sergio said, we understand that they're doing absolutely everything possible, and sometimes it does feel that,

Starting point is 00:08:56 yes, we do feel sometimes that they're wasting their time with us, even though we know we have to be under, you know, scrutiny, absolutely understandable. But my goodness, she's still out there. Sergio pled with whomever had taken Issa, saying, to whoever did this,

Starting point is 00:09:11 please look at her, look at her, she's beautiful, she doesn't deserve this. She deserves to be home. She deserves to be home in her room, playing with her brothers, and just loving life the way she does. This is, there's so many things that are just so frustrating and so difficult to deal with. Rebecca added that they understood why they were under scrutiny. She said, it's necessary to do, and if it's anything close to getting Issa back home safely, then whatever it takes.

Starting point is 00:09:39 It's nothing we can't handle. We want her back. So whatever it takes to get her back, we will do. On May 6, Sergio, who was also an opera singer, saying Ave Maria at a benefit to raise money for the search for his daughter. Then, in a disturbing turn of events on Friday, May 11th, Child Protective Services removed Issa's two brothers from their father's care and placed them in the exclusive custody of their mother. Sergio was no longer allowed to have contact with his two older children. The time, CPS would not comment on why this decision was made, though the police emphasize that CPS involvement, is common practice in cases of missing children.

Starting point is 00:10:18 CPS personnel and ESA's family had met with detectives on Thursday, and CPS decided to put in place certain measures to ensure the continued welfare of the Cellus children. ESA's parents had taken a lie detector test, but its results had not been made public. It was later confirmed that CPS had previously visited the cellist home five months prior in December, though details about that visit were not released either.

Starting point is 00:10:42 On May 15th, the police have finally confirmed that Issa had been abducted, rather than just categorizing the case as suspicious disappearance possible abduction. By this time, they investigated over a thousand tips and interviewed more than 500 offenders living in the area. It searched ponds, landfills, streambeds, and empty houses. It even investigated the possibility that Issa was in Mexico, contacting local authorities there who checked hotels, bus terminals, and other businesses. Around the same time, they released the 911 recordings of Sergio calling to report his daughter, Missing. His calm demeanor on the phone aroused suspicion from some people who felt that he should have sounded as frantic as the girl's mother.

Starting point is 00:11:22 During the call, when the operator asked if Issa's mom was there, Sergio responded with the chuckle saying, She went to work, I told her to get her butt back here. Later in May, police released documents from the investigation, including details about the crime scene. During the initial search, a detective had noted apparent blood on the floor of her bedroom. Investigators had found a dark, red-brown substance on a vinyl shower curtain at the sell us home. A candlelit walk was held on May 25th to keep up awareness about Issa's disappearance. Attendees carried purple balloons and Issa's mother carried a banner that said,

Starting point is 00:11:55 keep praying. Because one of Issa's brothers wanted to attend, their father, Sergio, had to watch the vigil from afar, on the other side of the wall. Despite suspicion pointing at Sergio, Rebecca defended Issa's father, saying, my husband loves those boys, loves my daughter. He's a great husband, a great father to the boys and to Isabel. At the end of the day when Isabel comes home, everyone's questions will be answered. A music single called Bring Issa Homes released by a collective called The Flight Team, featuring Adeline Maraz. The song was released as a fundraiser with the goal of raising even more reward money to find Issa, which was at $50,000 at the time. On the one-year anniversary of Issa's disappearance, a community gathering was held as a day of safety and awareness.

Starting point is 00:12:43 A mass was held at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, followed by pizza, finger painting, balloon animals, and face painting. The theme was, of course, bring Issa home. Unfortunately, despite the efforts from police and the prayers from the community, Issa's case soon grew cold. In January of 2014, six new detectives were assigned to her case review information and conduct new interviews, along with two detectives who had already been on the case. About 50 officers recanvassed the neighborhood where Issa disappeared, hoping to drum up some new information.

Starting point is 00:13:15 In April, on the two-year anniversary of Issa's disappearance, Father Sergio remained hopeful that new detectives assigned to the case would be able to look at the investigation with fresh eyes. He said, that was my main hope when everything revamped, that hopefully they'll go in a more appropriate direction that they weren't looking at from the beginning. Mother Rebecca said that they were trying to maintain a normal life for Issa's two brothers, but it's hard to do things or go places because they don't want.

Starting point is 00:13:42 want to make new memories without Issa. She said that at least once a week, someone approaches them to say that they were thinking of her daughter. She said, there's still lots of hope, and it's going to be Issa's angel that's going to bring her home, and we need the community to keep their eyes open. The family only ever spoke about Issa in the present tense, and had even made a new bedroom for Issa, so it would be ready for her return. Mother said, it's all new, and I can't wait for her to see it. I think she's going to go crazy. It's complete with a new bed, unopened presence, and letters from people she's never met. Although the Tucson police do not use psychics for investigative purposes, they have been

Starting point is 00:14:21 contacted from several psychics from all over the country. Every single lead was followed up, but none turned out to be credible. Still, the Selle's family reached out to Alison Dubois, a psychic who claimed to have helped authority solve dozens of cases across the country. She felt that Sergio was not a suspect, claiming that when she went into Issa's room, the first thing she heard was, it's not my dad. Another psychic named Atreya was contacted by a news channel and she said of Isabel, I can usually feel if they've passed on. She doesn't feel passed on. Not at all. She doesn't. I still think there's a potential of her returning in three, could be three or five years, something like that. But like I said, I keep seeing her playing,

Starting point is 00:15:04 keep seeing her happy. April 2015 marked the third year of Issa's disappearance was still no solid leads. Tucson Police Lieutenant Matt Ronstadt confirmed that the investigation was still very much ongoing. He said, someone has seen something, heard something that is going to prove to be that tiny little missing piece that helps tie all the pieces together. And they may not even be aware that they have that information. He said that the police had received more than 2,000 tips since Issa's disappearance. However, he could not comment on whether or not Issa's parents were still considered suspects in the case. In October of 2015, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age progression photo to show what Issa might look like at age nine, three years older than when she first disappeared.

Starting point is 00:15:49 However, even this failed to generate any new leads. In May of 2016, police released nearly 10 hours of surveillance footage taken from a business near the home where Issa disappeared. Although there was a lot of activity visible during those 10 hours, this newly released information also sadly failed to generate any new information from the public. As much as everyone tried to keep their hopes up, more and more time was passing with no new information about what had happened to six-year-old ESA on that fateful April morning in 2012. Then, unexpectedly on March 31st, 2017, almost five years after ESA disappeared, police finally announced a new development. Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus confirmed that ESA's body had been located in a rural part of Pima County. He said that her remains had been found a month prior in an undisclosed, remote part of the county, and that DNA testing at a lab in Virginia had confirmed the identity.

Starting point is 00:16:47 He said, Obviously, this is not the ending that any of us had hoped for, but this is also not the ending of this case. We are working this case very aggressively. He said the discovery of Issa's remains was not just happenstance, but declined to say what led the officers to the site where she was found. No arrests had been made and the police would not name any suspects. Issa's family asked for privacy after finding out the tragic news that their daughter would not be returning home safely.

Starting point is 00:17:19 In a statement issued through Tucson Medical Center where Issa's mother Rebecca worked as a nurse, her family said that they were grateful and heartbroken. The statement read, We want to thank the community for the support they have continued to show for Issa over the years and for refusing to give up hope. Now is our time to mourn. We asked for our privacy during this time so that we can do that. An impromptu memorial popped up outside their home,

Starting point is 00:17:46 with mourners leaving purple balloons and flowers in the place where Issa was last seen alive. On Saturday, April 29, 2017, more than 450 people attended a funeral for Issa at the St. Augustine Cathedral in Tucson. Family and friends wore purple to honor the little girl, and purple ribbons adorned vehicles outside. The service was held in both Spanish and English, and a mariachi band played music before the scripture readings and prayers. The mask concluded with When You Wish Upon a Star played on the violin and attendees were handed pink and purple balloons to release outside. Rebecca and Sergio wore purple sunglasses as they watched the balloons sail away into the cloudless blue sky.

Starting point is 00:18:29 In October of 2017, eight months after Ease's remains were found, Pima County Medical Examiners ruled the death. of Isabel Celis as homicide by unspecified means. They confirmed that the remains included parts of Issa's skull, pelvis, and upper jawbone, and six teeth. The autopsy report was heavily redacted, but noted that at one point, investigators returned to the scene where Issa's body had been found. There, a group of officers performing a hands-and-knee search of the area discovered something of value which was sent along to the medical examiner. In September 15th, 2018, nearly one year after the autopsy result, released. Public also found out that a 36-year-old man named Christopher Matthew Clements have been

Starting point is 00:19:13 indicted for the kidnapping and murder of not one, but two young Tucson girls. Valley and across our state police in Tucson say they know the man who murdered six-year-old Isbell Salas and 13-year-old Marybel Gonzalez. They say he is now behind bars and that there is a big connection to the Phoenix area. Tucson police sent out a press release with the following information. In early 2017, local FBI agents were contacted about an individual by the name of Christopher Clemens. They were advised that Clements possibly had information relaying to the disappearance of Isabel Celis. The FBI immediately contacted the Tucson Police Department and assisted with the follow-up of that information. On March 3, 2017, after speaking with Clements, Tucson police investigators and FBI agents

Starting point is 00:19:59 located human remains in the area of North Tricco Road and West Avra Valley Road, which is the same general area where Maribel Gonzalez was located in. in 2014. Tucson Police Homicide Unit was then assigned to recover the remains and to continue the investigation. Those remains were tested and positively identified as Isabel Celis. A manner of death was determined to be a homicide. Maribel Gonzalez was a 13-year-old girl from Tucson who vanished while walking to a friend's house in June of 2014, two years after Issa disappeared. When she didn't return from the friend's house the next morning, her mother called the friend who told her that Maribel had never arrived.

Starting point is 00:20:41 She was reported missing, but the case was initially treated as a runaway. Maribel's naked body was found three days later by a passerby in a desert area northwest of Tucson, hidden underneath two tires beneath a mesquite tree. Her body was found in the same general area that Issa's remains were later found in 2017. The locations where both girls had disappeared were also less than a mile apart. Christopher Clemens had been held in Maricopa County, jail since April of 2017 on unrelated charges of burglary, fraud, and theft. Therefore, he was already in jail when he was indicted on September 15th for the homicides of

Starting point is 00:21:19 ESA and Maribel and was held on a $2 million cash-only bond. Christopher was indicted by a grand jury on 22 charges related to the killings, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping of a minor, and one count of burglary of a residential structure. He was also indicted on 14 counts of exploitation of a minor because he was apparently involved with CSA images of children. Authorities did not clarify whether the exploitation charges involved Issa or Maribel. Pima County Attorney Barbara Lawall commented on the arrest saying, the heart-wrenching tragedies of Maribel Gonzalez and Isabel Celis's homicides have been compounded by a very long, long wait for justice. Christopher Clarke. Christopher

Starting point is 00:22:05 Clements was actually at liberty for the homicide of Isabel Celis for a bit longer than she was alive. His apprehension was long overdue. To the families, our hearts go out to you for the tragic loss that you've suffered, for the long time that you've waited for a resolution. More details about Christopher's life eventually came to light, showing that he had a 20-year criminal history spanning multiple states. He was 11. He was accused of inappropriately touching a very young child, but he was never charged with it.

Starting point is 00:22:36 His first conviction was at age 16, where he pled guilty to two offenses in Oregon. He'd been arrested and convicted of essay and a four-year-old little girl. For the next 20 years, Christopher racked up arrests in Washington, Florida, and Arizona, several of which were failing to register as an offender, as required by his Oregon conviction.

Starting point is 00:22:56 Also as a condition of his conviction, Christopher was required to submit a DNA sample to the combined DNA index system, also known as CODIS, which police later used to connect. him to a 2016 burglary. In 2013, the year after Issa was abducted, he was charged with living too close to a school as an offender. In October of 2015, Christopher and his then-fiancee Melissa were arrested in a sting operation where it was discovered that their young son was left in a car

Starting point is 00:23:22 outside. Christopher and Melissa were both charged with CA and other charges related to solicitation. At the time of Issa's disappearance in April of 2012, Christopher was living only about two miles from her home. He was arrested five months later in September of 2012 on a charge of second-degree residential burglary after a woman came home and saw him loading up items into a Lexus parked in front of the house. Police ran the license plate number the woman provided, which came back to Christopher. He was arrested at his home and subsequently charged with felony counts of burglary, criminal damage, and theft. His bond was set at $10,000. He was released the next day after he paid the required 10%. The following month, a deputy Pima County attorney asked he, judge,

Starting point is 00:24:04 to reconsider Christopher's release since he was currently facing charges of harassment and he had an active warrant from Oregon for failing to register as an offender as well as charges related to pawning $28,000 in gold, silver, and diamonds. The judge denied this motion and Christopher remained free while his burglary case slowly worked its way through the court system. It was during this time in June of 2014 that Maribel was also abducted, killed, and dumped in the desert. It wasn't until March of 2015 that Christopher finally went to trial for the burglary charge. That case ended in a mistrial. A new date was set and then canceled again. A new date still hadn't been set in January of 2017 when Christopher was indicted on even more charges from an incident that happened in June of 2016,

Starting point is 00:24:47 whereas DNA was found at a burglary crime scene. This time, he was denied bond since he had been out of jail on bail when the second burglary occurred, but in late March, those charges were dismissed. However, on April 1st, 2017, he was indicted on charges of theft and burglary from a 2015 incident. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail where he remained through the September 2018 indictments related to the homicides of Issa and Maribel. If all of that was confusing to you, that's very understandable given Christopher's lengthy and convoluted criminal history. Basically, this was a known offender with back-to-back charges lined up, yet he was still somehow allowed to roam free, giving him an opportunity. to kill another young girl before he was finally locked away, an opportunity that he took.

Starting point is 00:25:35 Court documents released on September 22nd, 2018, finally revealed how Christopher had led police to find Issa's remains. Now, according to a search warrant, Christopher's girlfriend had contacted the FBI, saying that he, meaning Christopher, knew where Issa had been dumped. She later told investigators that she only knew Issa's name because while Christopher was in jail, they talked on the phone and he asked her to retrieve a bag buried in her yard.

Starting point is 00:26:02 He'd been careful not to say Issa's name over the phone. But in the bag, there was a piece of paper with Issa's name on it. After Christopher's girlfriend notified the FBI, investigators went to speak to him. He told them that he wouldn't lead them to Issa until his two pending burglary charges were dropped and they released his impounded car, which was inaccurate. The FBI agents agreed to his terms,

Starting point is 00:26:25 and on March 3, 2017, he don't. directed investigators to a desert area near Avra Valley and Trico roads where Issa's remains were then found. He told them to look for some discarded tires, a landmark that he remembered. Investigators realized it was the same general area where Maribel's body had been found in 2014, just three days after she went missing. After he helped investigators find Issa's remains, Christopher's burglary charges were dismissed as they had agreed. But he was transferred to the Maricopa County Jail on yet another. burglary-related case, and he remained there.

Starting point is 00:27:00 Records show that Christopher told the investigators that he did not kidnap or kill Issa, but refused to give more information. He later told investigators that he had a video of Issa's father, Sergio, in a local pawn shop, and implied it would help with the investigation. He also said he might know where they could find a murder weapon. Told investigators, he'd give them more information about these clues if they agreed to drop the burglary charge of Maricopa County and release him from jail. In September of 2017, the P.m.

Starting point is 00:27:27 and the Lima County Sheriff's Department served a search warrant at Christopher's girlfriend's home. There, they found a letter from Christopher in which he talked about the area where he led the FBI agents. The letter implied that there were four bodies left in that desert area. He claimed to have evidence about all four. Once Christopher's girlfriend moved out of the house, investigators obtained a search warrant for the yard. Found a plastic container buried in the yard, which contained a child's purple sweatshirt and schoolwork with the name Mercedes on it. Mercedes was Issa's middle name. Search warrant said that there had also appeared to be ashes buried in the ground underneath these items.

Starting point is 00:28:04 Investigators also searched computers where they found explicit photos of children and internet searches for Isabel Sellis sexy. Child killer found not guilty. Body found in desert and trace evidence found on body. He also searched the names of two other young girls who had been essayed and killed by other men years prior. Investigators also talked to a man who was in the Pima County jail at the same time as Christopher. He allegedly told this inmate that he knew where Issa was, that he might have evidence in his car. It was likely the same car he wanted release from impoundment in the earlier agreement. He allegedly told his fellow inmate that Issa was strangled and chemicals were poured over her body and

Starting point is 00:28:46 that she was never supposed to survive her kidnapping. Christopher apparently told the man that Issa's body was in the desert. He also showed the man photos hidden in his Bible. of what is said to be Issa's home. The search warrant also noted that DNA taken from Maribel Gonzalez's body was linked to Christopher, but did not elaborate further than that. Later, this DNA evidence was revealed to be a pubic hair taken from Maribel's body, which proved to have a very close DNA match to Christopher.

Starting point is 00:29:15 During the grand jury indictment, jurors also heard evidence about Christopher's cell phone being pinged in the area where both girls' bodies were later found. He canceled a cell phone the day. after Issa was reported missing. He also spent $110 on a car wash for his Accura on the same morning that Issa disappeared. Additionally, his iPad was found to have many candid photos of young girls outside of residences,

Starting point is 00:29:40 many of which were later tied to Pima County. Christopher pled not guilty in a court appearance at Pima County Superior Court on September 24th, 2018. Members of both Issa and Maribel's families were in attendance. In February of 2019, state prosecutors filed paperwork to seek the death sentence for Christopher in what was now a double homicide case. Christopher appeared in court in April of 2019 for a status conference, where he asked the court to reconsider his charges. He claimed that the grand jury didn't hear all of the evidence or fully consider Issa's father as a suspect.

Starting point is 00:30:16 His effort was unsuccessful, and his trial was eventually set for February 23, 2021. That date was eventually pushed back to April of 20. And it was decided to have separate trials for the two separate homicides. After further delays, Christopher's trial for the homicide of Maribel finally began in September of 2022, while the trial for Issa's homicide was pushed back to 2023. During the trial for Maribel's homicide, Christopher's ex-girlfriend Melissa testified that they had gotten to a huge argument the night that Maribel had disappeared. He stormed out and came home very late that night and immediately asked her if they had any bleach before going to buy some. He also asked her to clean his clothes, a shower after he had used it, and the floor leading from their front door to the shower.

Starting point is 00:31:02 He asked if she had looked in the trunk of her car before he left again. Lassol also testified about his proclivities for young girls. The police had also found internet searches on his devices, including phrases like Maribel Victoria, Maribel Gonzalez, murdered children, body found in desert, and trace evidence found on body. Maribel's mother, Valerie Kalong, also testified at the trial. She said that she didn't even realize that her daughter's body had been found until she saw it on the news. She recognized the butterfly tattoo on her daughter's collarbone and called the police to confirm the devastating news that her daughter had been found dead in an apparent homicide. The defense tried to cast doubt on the DNA evidence and argued that the prosecution had no evidence linking Christopher to Maribel. But despite their efforts, on September 20th, the jury found Christopher.

Starting point is 00:31:53 guilty of first-degree homicide and kidnapping. He was sentenced to life in prison for the homicide, as well as 17 years for the kidnapping to be served consecutively. He asked for a retrial, but thankfully, he was denied. Court proceedings for the trial in the homicide of Issa began on February 14, 2023. Issa would have been 17 years old at this time if she were still alive. In this trial, the defense tried to point blame at Issa's father, Sergio, who had remained so calm on the 911 call to report his daughter missing. The defense suggested that he may have allowed the gate to be open so the adductor could take Issa as a way to settle a debt. Sergio testified that he had been able to act so calmly when he found Issa missing because he

Starting point is 00:32:38 previously worked as a trauma attack at the Tucson Medical Center Emergency Department. There, he trained to keep a level head and allow the process to run as efficiently as possible. When prosecutors asked Sergio directly if he had anything to do with his daughter, daughter's disappearance, he replied firmly, absolutely not. The defense also tried to cast doubt on the ability of a stranger to remove Issa through a window without being heard by anyone in the home. As with the trial for Maribel's homicide, the defense questioned the validity of cell phone pings as proof that Christopher was near the burial sites of Maribel and Issa. They also pointed out that just because he had a hidden folder of pictures of little girls, knew where Issa was buried,

Starting point is 00:33:19 and had searched for things like Isabel Selah Sexy, that did not necessarily mean he had anything to do with her homicide. Issa's mother Rebecca also testified during the trial, recalling an incident where a dark-haired man had come to their home a few months before Issa's disappearance to inquire about their red acura, which was parked outside. She said that during this interaction, Issa was standing next to her as she spoke to the man through the door.

Starting point is 00:33:44 She was also questioned about Sergio's possible involvement, but said that she never saw anything that made her think her children weren't safe with her father. Dr. Jennifer Chen, who is a forensic pathologist with the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office, testified about the autopsy. She informed the jury that Issa had suffered a vertebral fracture that likely severed her spinal cord at or at the time of her death. Because medical examiners were only working with partial skeletal remains, and exact cause of death could not be determined. The ruling of homicide was based on the evidence of trauma, as well as the suspicious circumstances surrounding Issa's death and the whereabouts of her remains.

Starting point is 00:34:24 After two days of deliberations, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. The jury, which consisted of eight men and four women, were deadlocked. Eleven jurors voted to convict while one steadfastly voted to acquit. Pima County Judge James Marner declared a mistrial. Christopher's retrial began on February 6, 2020. It's again, the defense questioned how someone could abduct Issa through a window and over a garden wall without anyone hearing or dogs barking. Again, Sergio was cast as an alternate suspect. And again, the prosecution pointed out evidence such as Christopher's search history, the paper with Issa's name on it found buried at his girlfriend's home,

Starting point is 00:35:03 and the fact that he knew exactly where she was buried. This time, the jury came back with the unanimous verdict. On February 29th, they found Christopher guilty of the homicide and kidnapping of Issa Seles. Nearly 12 years after her disappearance. During the sentencing hearing, Issa's parents both spoke to the court. Rebecca said, The Bible speaks of God's wrath and has been shown to be great. Christopher has hurt many little ones, including my baby girl, Issa.

Starting point is 00:35:30 Punishment in this world will never be enough for the amount of pain and suffering he has caused. God, karma, Mother Earth, whatever you believe in, all of this has a way of making things right that no one can escape. Issa's father, Sergio, said, myself until the day I die, I will feel responsible for not doing my job and protecting my little girl from the evil that lurked outside her window. Christopher spoke on his own behalf at the sentencing, giving a five-minute rambling speech. He still maintained his innocence, complained that Judge James Marner had held an unfair trial, and compared him to dictators in history, such as Stalin and Hitler.

Starting point is 00:36:09 On April 10th, the judge sentenced Christopher to natural life in prison without parole. That sentence does not begin until after the sentence of life without parole that Christopher had received for killing Maribel. He is currently living out his sentence at the Arizona State I'm in prison complex in Florence, Arizona. An alternate juror who sat through the sentencing hearing reflected afterwards on how much the Selle's family had been affected by the loss of their daughter. She said, as a mom, that's what's really hard because they have a life sentence. Their lives will never be the same again. They'll never have their daughter. To hear them mention all the things they're going to miss, her growing up, her getting married,

Starting point is 00:36:48 her having a family, her being there is so hard to hear. Retired Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenior said this was one of those cases that his team could not shake from their minds, working nights and weekends to try to solve the mystery of Issa's disappearance. He had especially hoped to get this case solved before his retirement in 2015. He said, you have parts in your career that you look back on, and there's certain things that just stick with you. One of them that really stuck in my career was the fact that we had not solved this case. 12-year investigation finally paid off, which he described as the feeling of a

Starting point is 00:37:23 deep breath which can now be taken. It's closure for everyone, and I'm glad that we can put this part of our history in the past. Maribel Gonzalez is buried at East Lawn Palm Cemetery in Tucson. Her gravestone features an engrave cross shrouded in flowers. It reads, loving daughter, Maribel v. Gonzalez, July 12, 2000 to June 6, 2014. There's a space for her mother on the other half of the stone. Along the bottom are the words, We miss you and crazy mom love you. Isabel Salas does not have a public burial or a headstone that we were able to find in our research.

Starting point is 00:38:01 Her family continued to gather for years to remember her on the anniversary of her disappearance, but more importantly, they gathered for her birthdays. A few years after her disappearance, Issa's family went to the fair because that's what she would have enjoyed doing. They visited the livestock exhibits, the petting zoo, the yo-yo ride, and tried to win her prizes. If she were still alive, Issa would be turning 18 years old this year. She would probably be graduating from high school soon, going to prom and preparing for college. That life was stolen from her by the evil that lurked outside her window. At an earlier memorial service for Issa, her mother Rebecca said that she wanted everyone to remember her daughter with a smile on her face.

Starting point is 00:38:42 She said, remember my daughter, happy and playful and not in the way she was taken, but the good memories.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Isabel Celis

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