GUILTY TX - Carina Castellanos, 26, Corpus Christi, 21 June 2016 *Arrest*

[Lolly85x]

Heartbroken

 

[kimi_SFC]

Extensive write up with mugshot (I can't stand to look at him!)

Corpus Christi police find missing woman dead; arrest boyfriend

After fleeing from her home June 10 in the 1000 block of Herndon Street, Castellanos called police from a corner store. She told police Green had choked her, threatened to kill her with a steak knife and "bash her head" with a vase, according to an arrest affidavit.

She was taken to the Women's Shelter of South Texas that night, said Susan Treviño, the shelter's chief operating officer.

Castellanos left the shelter the next morning, Treviño said. Castellanos let her case manager know she was getting texts from Green and "she needed to get out of town," she said. She told staff her mother was going to pick her up and left.

Her mother, Robin Giddens-Castellanos, previously told the Caller-Times Green told Castellanos that "if she ever told the cops (about the abuse), he had friends (in Corpus Christi) that would take care of her."

Assistant Police Chief Mike Alanis said police could have arrested Green the night of the attack without a warrant if they had found him.

Police searched for Green at the couple's home on Herndon, but did not find him. A detective was assigned the case later that same day and began gathering evidence to seek a warrant.

Castellanos changed her mind on June 14 and told detectives in a voice mail that she did not want to pursue the case against Green, according to the affidavit. She said in the voice mail Green had left town and "is going to leave her alone."

"Due to victim's lack of interest to pursue this case ... this case is now closed," according to the detective's supplement report.

Giddens-Castellanos, who could not be reached Friday, has said Green promised her daughter he would leave her alone if she didn't press charges.

Alanis said although a victim's lack of cooperation does not warrant closure of all such cases, Castellanos' case initially was halted because there were no other pending domestic violence cases in the police database naming her as the victim.

"Detectives could not effectively get a warrant (before Castellanos was reported missing) since she declined further cooperation," he said.

According to the arrest affidavit, Prosecutor Lorena Whitney signed off on the assault warrant on Wednesday saying there was probable cause because of Castellanos' June 10 statements, which were recorded by an officer's body camera along with the missing person's report.

The affidavit also states Castellanos told officers she'd never called police before the June 10 attack because she was afraid and "(Green) strangles her all the time."

Castellanos told police on June 10 that Green thought she called him by another man's name and "because he is bipolar (he) goes into manic rages and (that night) lost it," according to the affidavit. She said Green got on top of her, straddled her, sat on her legs to disable her and choked her, according to the affidavit. She also told police while Green stood over her, he grabbed a steak knife and stabbed the walls and shelves while telling her he was going to stab and kill her.

Giddens-Castellanos said earlier this week that her daughter was trying to leave Green.
[...]
"Three weeks ago, she called me and said he tried to kill her. It wasn't the first time."

[...]

At first it was only verbal abuse, Giddens-Castellanos said, but over the years, it became physical. By the time they moved to Corpus Christi, away from Castellanos' family, her mother said Green would not let her daughter have any friends.

"I begged and begged her to get away. I don't know what kind of hold he had on her," she said.

In the week following her disappearance, her mother made missing person posters. One of those posters ended up at a convenience store at the intersection of Interstate 37 and State Highway 359 in Mathis, close to where Castellanos was found.

To build stronger cases against an offender, the Nueces County District Attorney's Office in 2014 purchased 78 body cameras for police to immediately document victims' statements and injuries when they respond to domestic violence calls.
[...]
Skurka said the case was brought to his office for the first time Wednesday, adding it's "hard to say" if the footage could have in some way helped hold Green accountable in a more timely manner.

"A body camera video might be useful in establishing probable cause, but that's not its sole function and is usually not the only thing," Skurka said.

Since February, police have been equipped with an 11-question screening that they're required to ask of domestic violence victims at each crime scene.
[...]
Castellanos was taken to the shelter by police after her screening the night of the June 10 attack, Treviño said.

"The fact that she was able to get shelter ... doing that could have easily saved her life at that point," Treviño said. "I can't express how sad I am right now ... at least we know the lethality assessment is giving victims the opportunity to connect with an advocate."

MUCHMore@Link:

http://www.caller.com/news/behind-b...9c2-e053-0100007f7c05-386017111.html?d=mobile
CCPD provides update on Carina Castellano murder investigation

https://youtu.be/724joDHB8Ww


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[ms_x_to_the_m]

So tragic.
The police should continue with the charges, regardless of the victim wanting to pursue them.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.caller.com/news/behind-b...80-e507-3d91-e053-0100007f987f-386377891.html

Nigel Green kept his answers short while State District Judge Jack Pulcher asked him questions during Green's first hearing Monday afternoon in the 105th District Court...

Green, 30, faces two domestic violence charges and a murder charge.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Murder trial delayed because of Austin DPS backlog

http://www.kristv.com/story/34018744/murder-trial-delayed-because-of-austin-dps-backlog

Prosecutors in Nigel Green's murder case told a judge they still haven't received the results of DNA tests on some of their evidence Friday morning.

It will be six months before they get those results because of a huge backlog in statewide murder cases.

A trial date for Green was set for the first week of May.

 

[0101ABA]

Prosecutors pursue capital murder charge against man accused of killing, dumping girlfriend

Nueces County prosecutors are now seeking a capital murder conviction against a man accused of killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a grassy ditch.

A Nueces County grand jury re-indicted Nigel Green on Thursday, about two months before he was slated to stand trial for first degree murder.

 

[0101ABA]

Fate unclear for man accused of killing girlfriend

The man accused of killing his girlfriend and dumping her body in a field will find out soon if he'll face the death penalty.

During an arraignment Monday afternoon, prosecutors in the Nigel Green case told a judge they will decide next Monday whether they'll seek the death penalty.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

From last month:

Murder suspect asks judge to reduce his bond

http://www.kristv.com/story/36477027/murder-suspect-asks-judge-to-reduce-his-bond

Nigel Green is being held at the Nueces County Jail on a $500,000 bond. At Thursday's hearing, his attorney asked Judge Jack Pulcher to reduce his bond to $10,000; so that his family could afford to bond him out.

In the end, Judge Pulcher denied Green's request.

Judge Pulcher set Green's trial date for February 5th.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

http://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2018/01/05/murder-suspect-challenges-medical-examiner-what-killed-carina-castellanos/1008309001/

During an appearance before 105th District Court Judge Jack Pulcher, Nigel Green's attorneys asked that the part of Medical Examiner Ray Fernandez's testimony related to the cause and manner of Carina Castellanos' death be excluded. They argued his testimony is not reliable or helpful to a jury.

Nathan Burkett, one of Green's lawyers, promoted the idea Fernandez would not be in a position to clearly determine what killed Castellanos because of advanced decomposition of her body.

"In this case, he does have all of the qualifications ... he just doesn't have that ability to make a reliable opinion," he said.

Pulcher denied the request.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Trial date for murder suspect Nigel Green set for Oct. 1

32-year-old Nigel Green is facing capital murder charges in the death of 28-year-old Carina Castellanos in June of 2016.

Judge Jack Pulcher set Green's trial date for Oct. 1.

 

[JerseyGirl]

A local judge is allowing prosecutors to use some shocking videos in the Nigel Green trial. He’s accused of killing his girlfriend Carina Castellanos.

The video shows Castellanos telling police Green tried to stab her.

Incriminating videos will be allowed in Nigel Green trial

 

[JerseyGirl]

He pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison as part of a plea deal.

https://kztv10.com/news/local-news/2018/10/09/nigel-green-murder-trial-ends-with-40-yr-plea-deal/