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KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Both the prosecution and the defense have replaced their presentation of evidence, according to the judge presiding over the court of Christopher Otero-Rivera and Angel Rivera.
Christopher Otero-Rivera and his father, Angel Rivera, are charged with second-degree murder for the death of Otero-Rivera’s estranged wife in Osceola County.
Before the trial of two men accused of the murder and dismantling of Nicole Montalvo in 2019 resumed on Tuesday, the judge dismissed a jury that, according to him, found him sleeping on several occasions during the proceedings.
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The judge said jury no. 16 was dismissed from the case and would be replaced by an alternate jury who has been vigilant throughout the proceedings.
The state reopened the case Tuesday around 3 p.m., but before they did, jurors heard a former fellow prisoner from Otero-Rivera.
The ex-prison inmate said that during his 8 months of being in the same prison center with Otero-Rivera, they had many conversations. He said Otero-Rivera said he wanted to kill Nicole Montalvo.
When asked if Otero-Rivera ever talked about specific ways to kill her, her former prison mate said Otero-Rivera mentioned a car bomb.
He was also called to testify a second fellow prisoner and said Otero-Rivera had talked about getting out of jail and killing Montalvo.
But the focus wasn’t just on Otero-Rivera, the jurors also heard a neighbor say he lives diagonally in front of Rivera’s property and said he had a troubling conversation with Angel Rivera.
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The neighbor said Rivera offered him $ 10,000 to kill Montalvo.
Before the defense began calling witnesses, Otero-Rivera and his father said they would not take a stand.
The defense has only called Wanda Rivera as a witness in the late afternoon. She is Angel’s wife and Christopher’s mother.
The trial is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning at 9 p.m.
Montalvo, 33, disappeared in October 2019 after failing to pick up her 8-year-old son from school. Their dismembered remains were later found buried in Riveras properties. Otero-Rivera and Montalvo had a son together, but they separated at the time of his death.
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