The 2014 trial of Michel Escoto for the 2002 slaying of his young, newlywed wife, Wendy Trapaga, is covered by NBC’s Dateline on July 15.
Similarly, the episode “Mystery in South Beach” follows Trapaga’s terrible demise and the subsequent trial.
Four days after the couple of 42-year-old Escoto and 21-year-old Trapaga got hitched in October 2002, Trapaga was discovered dead outside a warehouse near a garbage can.
So, what exactly happened to Wendy Trapaga?
What Happened To Wendy Trapaga?
Wendy Marie Trapaga, a 21-year-old claimant, was murdered in Miami Springs in October 2002. Her husband, Michel Escoto, was accused of killing her, as reported by the authorities in 2005.
Myriam Benitez accused Escoto’s ex-girlfriend Yolanda Cerrillo of wrongful conviction as the daughter’s heir and personal representative.
Per the estate’s attorney, the family of Trapaga had suspicions that Cerrillo had assisted Escoto in executing the murder to collect a $1 million insurance policy on Trapaga.
In exchange for information against Escoto, the prosecution offered Cerrillo immunity.
Per the estate’s legal representative, Cerrillo told prosecutors that she assisted Escoto in pulverizing narcotic painkiller pills into powder to render Trapaga unconscious before he beat her to death.
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Wendy Trapaga Murder Story In “Mystery On The South Beach” Dateline Episode
The new Dateline episode, Murder Mystery on the South Beach, follows the story of a fatal occurrence that claimed the life of the newlywed bride Wendy Trapaga.
Initially, Escoto and Cerillo planned to kill Trapaga. On their honeymoon, The groom attempted to drug Trapaga by adding broken-up Percocet to her drink and then drowning her in the bathtub while making it appear like an accident.
However, this scheme failed as Trapaga had doubts about the murky beverage. Only a few days later, Escoto attempted to drown Trapaga once more in a Jacuzzi at Miami’s Executive Airport Motel, but she survived.
So, later that evening, Escoto beat her to death with a tire iron outside of a warehouse. Escoto’s fate was sealed when Cerillo was able to direct law enforcement to the murder weapon.
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Michael Escoto Killed Wendy Trapaga For Her Life Insurance
Although the incident was perpetrated in 2002, Michale Escoto wasn’t detained by officials until 2005.
In essence, Escoto’s narrative was doubted when he sued to recover a $1 million life insurance policy that Trapaga had purchased when they began living together.
To receive the life insurance benefit, he gave conflicting accounts of what occurred in a 2005 trial, and in the process, he implicated himself.
The killer husband Michael testified for himself during the 2014 trial and struck a “not guilty” plea to the charge of first-degree murder. But the court and jury could piece together Trapaga’s case thanks to testimony from his former girlfriend, Yolanda Cerillo.
Where Is The Killer Michael Escoto Now?
Michael Escoto is currently imprisoned in an all-male jail at the Charlotte Correctional Institution in Punta Gorda, Florid.
He most certainly will spend the remainder of his days there as Trapaga’s family sobs over her untimely passing.
Nonetheless, Escoto is serving a life term in prison after being found guilty in 2014.
Similarly, the court rejected his attempt to request a new trial. Prosecutor Gail Levine remarked, “Wendy’s life was brief, but her road to justice was long.”
After being found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, Escoto received a life sentence without the possibility of release.
