A Connecticut man received a 65-year prison sentence on Monday for the 2019 beating death of his girlfriend, Christine Holloway. However, their baby daughter has been missing since that incident.
Jose Morales, 48, was found guilty in April of tampering with evidence and murder related to Holloway’s case.
The couple’s daughter, Vanessa, was just 14 months old when Holloway was killed. Her family has been actively searching for her ever since. In 2019, authorities identified Morales as a suspect in Vanessa’s disappearance, but no charges were ever filed against him.
At the sentencing, several family members of Holloway addressed the court.
“What I did to Christine Holloway is unforgivable and disgusting. This monster continues to lie. Where is Vanessa? Why is this so cruel?” questioned Anna Rodonski, Holloway’s aunt.
Morales chose not to speak during the hearing at Milford Superior Court. During the trial, he claimed that two intruders attacked Holloway and him and that they took Vanessa. He also mentioned that he was using PCP at the time.
His lawyer, Edward Gavin, remarked, “This is a very difficult case. It illustrates the impact of PCP and substance abuse in our society.”
Before pronouncing the sentence, Judge Shari Murphy characterized the crime as malicious, stating that Morales displayed a reckless disregard for human life.
“Mr. Morales, you are a dangerous individual, a serious threat to society, and you need to be removed from the community for a significant duration,” the judge asserted.
