TUCSON, Arizona (13 News) – The second murder trial against convicted child murderer Christopher Clements continues on Wednesday, March 1 and could end this week.

The defense adjourned before lunch and closing arguments began Wednesday afternoon. After hearing the case, the case is handed over to the jury.

For more information on Wednesday’s action, scroll down to the section labeled “Day 10: More Witnesses and Closing Arguments.”

Background

Clements faces kidnapping and murder charges in connection with the disappearance and death of Isabel Celis in Tucson in 2012.

The case quickly gained national attention as Isabelle went missing from her bedroom more than a decade ago and communities in southern Arizona searched for her.

Despite some leads, the incident remained cool until 2017. That’s when Clements’ fiancé called the FBI, and she told him that Clements knew where Isabel was buried.

A month later, Clements led investigators to search for Isabel’s body in a desert area near the West Avra ​​Valley and North Trico roads in rural Pima County.

Clements, who is pleading not guilty to the charges, said he had nothing to do with Isabel’s death. He claims he knew only the location, not who did it.

A year later, Clements was indicted in connection with the deaths of Isabel and Maribel Gonzalez. Maribel’s body was found in the same area as Isabel’s.

last year, Clements is Convicted of Kidnapping and Murder of Maribel Gonzalez and was sentenced to life imprisonment. On June 3, 2014, at the age of 13, Maribel went missing while walking to a friend’s house. A few days later, her body in Maribel was found in a desert area near the road between Toriko and Avra ​​Valley.

Clements has already served 35 years in prison for the Maricopa County robbery.

Day 10: Add Witnesses and Closing Arguments

Earlier Wednesday, the judge asked Clements if he was willing to testify.

As in his trial for the death of Maribel Gonzalez, Clements said he would not run for office.

Clements’ attorney, Eric Kessler, called the Tucson Police Department. Dan Barry in the stands.

According to Barry, Isabel’s father, Sergio, didn’t text her the day she went missing and the day after. The defense claims the Celis family erased the texts during that period.

The defense dropped the case after Barry’s testimony.

The state then called Christopher Vaughan, a rebuttal witness who worked for TPD.

After Isabel went missing, Vaughn was summoned to Celes’ house. He was tasked with entering and exiting Isabel’s window.

A video of the reenactment was shown in court, and Vaughan performed it without issue.

Kessler claimed that Vaughan did it without having anything to simulate Isabel’s body/weight.

Director Sai Ray lexis nexis and creator ZX, called again. Ray is an expert in cell phone tracking, and testifies that Clements’ phone was near Celis’ house on the night she went missing, similar to where Isabel’s body was dumped.

Presumably in an attempt to discredit Ray’s testimony regarding the cell phone’s location, Kessler brought up an article questioning the effectiveness of the tracking system Ray testified to.

The defense put the case to rest before lunch, and the shutdown began when everyone returned from their break.

According to 13 News reporter Mary Coleman, after the intermission, the courtroom was filled with people who showed up to hear the closing ceremony.

previous article

• Six-year-old Isabel Celis goes missing from her family’s Tucson home
• Psychics are involved in the disappearance of Isabel Celis
• Police: CPS previously contacted Isabel Celis’ family
• Father of boy prank call apologizes to Isabel Celis family
• Neighbors heard a man’s voice near Isabel Celis’ home on the morning she disappeared
• Maribel Gonzalez’s father speaks out after body found in desert
• Friends react to Maribel Gonzalez’s suspicious death
• Police: Maribel Gonzalez murdered
• Grieving but unbroken families of murder victims speak out
• Christopher Clements Indicted in Deaths of Isabel Serris and Maribel Gonzalez
• Documents reveal chilling details about investigation of Isabel Celis, Maribel Gonzalez
• Murder suspect Christopher Clements repeatedly clashed with Tucson police
• Clements pleads not guilty to deaths of Isabel Celis, Maribel Gonzalez
• New documents reveal details of murder of two Tucson girls
• Detailed documentation hours, days and weeks after the disappearance of Isabel Serris
• Maribel Gonzalez’ best friend remembers her on graduation day
• State will not seek death penalty for man accused of murdering Isabel Celis, Maribel Gonzalez
• KOLD ONLY: Video of the Interrogation of Accused Child Murderer Christopher Clements
• KOLD ONLY: FBI interrogation video shows suspect accused of killing child tried to negotiate with special agent
• Prosecutors say photos prove Christopher Clements kidnapped and killed Isabel Celis
• Clements Convicted of Robbery in Maricopa County
• Clements, accused of Tucson child murderer, sentenced to prison in Maricopa County robbery case
• High-profile murder begins in Tucson
• Clements first murder trial jury
• Opening Statement in Clements Murder Trial
• Victim’s mother stands trial for Clements
• Ex-girlfriend of child killer continues to testify
• Clements phone shows ‘unusual activity’ on night Maribel Gonzalez disappeared
• DNA expert says Clements can’t be ruled out as a suspect
• A search of Christopher Clements’ computer revealed hundreds of erotica images of children, photographs taken of young girls around Tucson
• State files lawsuit in Clements murder trial
• The defense calls the first witness at the trial
• The defense calls only three witnesses to settle the case
• Closing arguments and case are left to the jury
• the jury cannot reach a verdict in the first full day of deliberation
• Christopher Clements convicted of kidnapping and murder
• Judge Denies Christopher Clements’ Request for Retrial
• Clements gets life in prison for Gonzalez’s death
• Jury in Christopher Clements Second Murder Trial
• Clements’ second murder trial swells with opening statement
• Isabel Celis’ father, brother stand trial for Clements’ murder
• Isabel Celis’ mother stands up for day 3
• Clements ex-girlfriend stands up
• More Expert Witnesses Discuss Clements Electronics, Search History
• Mothers say they don’t know why Clements had pictures of their young daughters
• Defense calls first witness in Christopher Clements murder trial
• Clements wasn’t the prime suspect until he led the FBI to Isabel Sellis’ remains
• State drops charges in Clements second murder trial

disappeared in the desert

KOLD has covered this case for years. In 2021, he released his award-winning podcast, “Disappeared in the Desert.”

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