Niner
Long time Websleuther
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2003
- Messages
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Thursday, June 10th:
*Motions Hearing (Day 2 of 2) (re Murder) (@ 10am PT) – AZ – Isabel Mercedes Celis (6) (April 21, 2012, Tucson, found Mar. 3, 2017, Id’ed Mar. 31, 2017) & Maribel Victoria Gonzales (13) (June 4, 2014, Tucson, found June 6, 2014, id’ed June 20, 2014) – *Christopher Matthew Clements (36/now 38) aka Damion James Johnson indicted (9/15/18) & charged & arraigned (9/24/18) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of kidnapping a minor under 15, 2 counts of 2nd degree burglary, 1 count of theft by controlling stolen property, 1 count of trafficking in stolen property & 14 counts of sexual exploitation of minors. Plead not guilty. $2M cash only bond. DA will not seek DP.
Murder trial set to begin on 1/11/22 with jury selection. Trial will be on Tuesdays thru Fridays.
Trial (for Burglary/fraud) set to begin on 8/26/21.
Court hearings for Isabel Celis from 9/15/18 to 4/15/21 reference post #261 here:
Found Deceased - AZ - Isabel Mercedes Celis, 6, Tucson, 20 April 2012 *Arrest* #27
Court hearings for Maribel Gonzales from 9/15/18 to 4/15/21 reference post #122 here:
Found Deceased - AZ - Maribel Gonzales, 13, Tucson, 3 June 2014 *Arrest*
4/16/21 Update: Clements' attorneys asked the presiding judge to suppress evidence obtained during a court-authorized live GPS tracking of the suspect's disposable T-Mobile cell phone stating this act violated Clements' "reasonable expectation of privacy & was a Fourth Amendment search which required a search warrant rather than a court order." The court documents state that the live GPS tracking was made in connection to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's investigation into "two related residential burglaries in late 2015," two years before Clements was suspected in the murders of the two Tucson minors. Detectives recognized the Celis site as near the location where Maribel Gonzalez's remains were found. That prompted them to view Clements as a suspect in the older girl’s murder. They say they got a DNA match to Clements off Maribel's body. Superior Court Judge Deborah Bernini ruled the circumstances of how investigators obtained the cell phone tracking should not prevent prosecutors from using that evidence at trial. Motion for trial continuance-granted. Next motions hearings on 6/9/21 & 6/10/21 & trial is now scheduled to begin on 1/11/22.
6/9/21 Update: Motions hearing continues on 6/10/21.
Co-Defendant on Maricopa County case:
*Melissa Stark (29 @ time of crime/now 33) – Fraud/Burglary case – Status conference hearing on 7/13/21. Pretrial conference hearing on 8/12/21 & trial to begin on 8/26/21.
*Motions Hearing (Day 2 of 2) (re Murder) (@ 10am PT) – AZ – Isabel Mercedes Celis (6) (April 21, 2012, Tucson, found Mar. 3, 2017, Id’ed Mar. 31, 2017) & Maribel Victoria Gonzales (13) (June 4, 2014, Tucson, found June 6, 2014, id’ed June 20, 2014) – *Christopher Matthew Clements (36/now 38) aka Damion James Johnson indicted (9/15/18) & charged & arraigned (9/24/18) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of kidnapping a minor under 15, 2 counts of 2nd degree burglary, 1 count of theft by controlling stolen property, 1 count of trafficking in stolen property & 14 counts of sexual exploitation of minors. Plead not guilty. $2M cash only bond. DA will not seek DP.
Murder trial set to begin on 1/11/22 with jury selection. Trial will be on Tuesdays thru Fridays.
Trial (for Burglary/fraud) set to begin on 8/26/21.
Court hearings for Isabel Celis from 9/15/18 to 4/15/21 reference post #261 here:
Found Deceased - AZ - Isabel Mercedes Celis, 6, Tucson, 20 April 2012 *Arrest* #27
Court hearings for Maribel Gonzales from 9/15/18 to 4/15/21 reference post #122 here:
Found Deceased - AZ - Maribel Gonzales, 13, Tucson, 3 June 2014 *Arrest*
4/16/21 Update: Clements' attorneys asked the presiding judge to suppress evidence obtained during a court-authorized live GPS tracking of the suspect's disposable T-Mobile cell phone stating this act violated Clements' "reasonable expectation of privacy & was a Fourth Amendment search which required a search warrant rather than a court order." The court documents state that the live GPS tracking was made in connection to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's investigation into "two related residential burglaries in late 2015," two years before Clements was suspected in the murders of the two Tucson minors. Detectives recognized the Celis site as near the location where Maribel Gonzalez's remains were found. That prompted them to view Clements as a suspect in the older girl’s murder. They say they got a DNA match to Clements off Maribel's body. Superior Court Judge Deborah Bernini ruled the circumstances of how investigators obtained the cell phone tracking should not prevent prosecutors from using that evidence at trial. Motion for trial continuance-granted. Next motions hearings on 6/9/21 & 6/10/21 & trial is now scheduled to begin on 1/11/22.
6/9/21 Update: Motions hearing continues on 6/10/21.
Co-Defendant on Maricopa County case:
*Melissa Stark (29 @ time of crime/now 33) – Fraud/Burglary case – Status conference hearing on 7/13/21. Pretrial conference hearing on 8/12/21 & trial to begin on 8/26/21.
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