PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - A man accused of giving his pregnant lover $500 for an abortion, then killing her only a few weeks before she was due to give birth because she gave the money to someone else, is set to go on trial.
Jose Soto-Escalera, 48, is facing two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder nearly seven years after the body of 23-year-old Tania Wise was found on the side of a county road on August 24, 2018, Law & Crime reported.
In a Facebook post from 2018, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO) said that roughly a month after the body was found, detectives uncovered certain details about communications between Soto-Escalera and Wise in the months leading up to the alleged murder.
An arrest report showed that police said Wise had told Soto-Escalera that she was pregnant with his child and "needed money for an abortion." The arrest report also stated that Wise warned that if she didn't get the money from Soto-Escalera, she would tell his wife about the affair and child.
A witness who was with Wise when she called Soto-Escalera and told him she was pregnant with his child and needed money for an abortion spoke to detectives. After he agreed to pay for the abortion and Wise hung up the phone, she told the witness that "if she used Jose's wife against him, she could get anything she wanted."
According to the arrest report, Soto-Escalera's wife did not know that he and Wise were having a sexual relationship. Soto-Escalera and Wise reportedly met up later that day, and he gave her $500 for an abortion. However, a witness who spoke to police said that Wise did not get the abortion and instead gave the money to someone else.
Another witness told police that three days before Wise's body was discovered, they spoke with Soto-Escalera, who was "mad because Wise 'played him'" when she did not use the money to get an abortion. He allegedly asked the witness about finding a "dirty gun."
In an interview with police after Wise's body was found, Soto-Escalera said that he had never had sex with Wise, but admitted that she stripped for him. During his interview, he agreed to a DNA test and allowed his cellphone to be searched. When the DNA test came back, police confirmed that he was the father of Wise's unborn baby boy.
Cellphone data showed that Soto-Escalera and Wise called each other several times on August 23, 2018, the night before her body was found. His cellphone had allegedly pinged at the location where Wise's body was found the following day.
His cellphone records also revealed what prosecutors believe were incriminating Google searches hours before Wise's body was found, including searches for "dead body in woods" and "wooded area dead body," police said. The defendant also allegedly clicked on four related links from those searches.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Soto-Escalera. His trial began with jury selection on Wednesday, September 3.
Jose Soto-Escalera, 48, is facing two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder nearly seven years after the body of 23-year-old Tania Wise was found on the side of a county road on August 24, 2018, Law & Crime reported.
In a Facebook post from 2018, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO) said that roughly a month after the body was found, detectives uncovered certain details about communications between Soto-Escalera and Wise in the months leading up to the alleged murder.
An arrest report showed that police said Wise had told Soto-Escalera that she was pregnant with his child and "needed money for an abortion." The arrest report also stated that Wise warned that if she didn't get the money from Soto-Escalera, she would tell his wife about the affair and child.
A witness who was with Wise when she called Soto-Escalera and told him she was pregnant with his child and needed money for an abortion spoke to detectives. After he agreed to pay for the abortion and Wise hung up the phone, she told the witness that "if she used Jose's wife against him, she could get anything she wanted."
According to the arrest report, Soto-Escalera's wife did not know that he and Wise were having a sexual relationship. Soto-Escalera and Wise reportedly met up later that day, and he gave her $500 for an abortion. However, a witness who spoke to police said that Wise did not get the abortion and instead gave the money to someone else.
Another witness told police that three days before Wise's body was discovered, they spoke with Soto-Escalera, who was "mad because Wise 'played him'" when she did not use the money to get an abortion. He allegedly asked the witness about finding a "dirty gun."
In an interview with police after Wise's body was found, Soto-Escalera said that he had never had sex with Wise, but admitted that she stripped for him. During his interview, he agreed to a DNA test and allowed his cellphone to be searched. When the DNA test came back, police confirmed that he was the father of Wise's unborn baby boy.
Cellphone data showed that Soto-Escalera and Wise called each other several times on August 23, 2018, the night before her body was found. His cellphone had allegedly pinged at the location where Wise's body was found the following day.
His cellphone records also revealed what prosecutors believe were incriminating Google searches hours before Wise's body was found, including searches for "dead body in woods" and "wooded area dead body," police said. The defendant also allegedly clicked on four related links from those searches.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Soto-Escalera. His trial began with jury selection on Wednesday, September 3.
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