The first of three murder trials for the suspects involved in the 2020 death of Marisela Botello began on Tuesday in Dallas. Botello, a 23-year-old Seattle resident, was last seen in October 2020, leaving a bar in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas with Charles Beltran. This event was captured on surveillance footage.
Six months following her disappearance, Botello’s remains were discovered in a secluded area of Dallas County. Three individuals, Charles Beltran, Nina Marano, and Lisa Dykes, who were Botello’s roommates, have been charged with her murder. The charges came after police found evidence of Botello’s blood in the apartment shared by the suspects.
The commencement of the trial marks an end to a series of delays, including a notable incident in December 2021. Dykes and Marano, who were out on bond, disabled their ankle monitors on Christmas morning, leading to an international manhunt. Two months later, the FBI collaborated with law enforcement in Cambodia, nearly 9,000 miles away, to apprehend the couple.
Botello was in Dallas visiting from Seattle at the time of her murder. The motive behind her killing remains unclear, adding a layer of mystery to the case that has now reached the courts.
