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Wendy Trapaga was brutally murdered four days after her wedding in 2002. Her battered and strangled dead body was discovered near a warehouse parking lot in the North Miami-Dade area. An investigation led the authorities to believe that her newlywed husband, Michel Escoto, killed her to claim a $1 million insurance policy.
Reports state that a third individual, Ecsoto's ex-girlfriend, Yolanda Cerillo, was also involved in the murder plot. She later came clean about her role and her testimonies partly led to the culprit's ultimate conviction.
It was also mentioned that Escoto had made quite a few attempts at killing Trapaga within the days that came after their marriage.
NBC Dateline is scheduled to revisit the tragic murder story of 21-year-old Wendy Trapaga from two decades ago. The episode will air on Friday, July 15, 2022, at 10/9c.
How did Michel Escoto kill his newlywed wife, Wendy Trapaga?
Michel Escoto had to get rid of his wife of four days, Wendy Trapaga, in order to claim $1 million life insurance policy.
Reportedly, Escoto's first attempt was to drug his allegedly pregnant 21-year-old wife's drink on their honeymoon in Key West, Florida, in order to make it seem as if she drowned accidentally. However, Trapaga reportedly objected, complaining about her drink and saying that she felt it too was chalky.
He then made his second attempt at killing her by trying to drown her in the Miami hotel's jacuzzi, which again did not work in his favor. Later that evening, he successfully managed to kill her using a tire iron. According to the prosecution, he beat her up using the heavy tool near the warehouse area where authorities discovered the victim's body.
Reports state that Escoto initially made statements saying that he had a fight with his wife on the evening of her death, claiming that she drove off after dropping him off at their South Beach home.
Shortly after the murder, he filed a claim for insurance money and the discrepancies discovered during Escoto's failed attempts to obtain the one million dollars gave rise to the murder case investigation, putting him at the center of it.
He was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in a trial that took place over a decade after the incident originally occurred.
Wendy Trapaga's family made emotional statements at the trial
The perpetrator was arrested and remained in jail throughout the years until his trial in 2014. His ex-girlfriend and accomplice in the murder, Yolanda Cerillo, testified against him, revealing details about the complete murder plot and the occurrences in exchange for immunity.
Rita Stephen, Wendy Trapaga's sister, reportedly commented on the immunity given to Cerillo, saying:
"I don't care at all how desperate, how insecure, how lacking in self respect you have, you're a mother and you went ahead and planned out the death of another mother's daughter."
Moreover, during the trial, the victim's mother, Myriam Benitez, testified, saying:
"I did not feel good. I expressed to her 'Why insurance?' They're not even married, no children. They're renting. She's sleeping on the floor. She did not have a job. Why insurance?"
Mentioning the couple's fight shortly before their marriage, she added:
"He takes off his helmet furiously, very angry, starts throwing it against the cement once, two times very angry. I'm in shock and I see my daughter standing still not moving."
Despite this, Benitez expressed certainty that her daughter and Escoto were happy in their relationship. In fact, ahead of the October 2002 wedding, Wendy Trapaga informed her mother that she was pregnant.
Saddened by the events, the 21-year-old's family apparently even sued the ex-girlfriend for $44 million for her involvement in the murder.
Catch the full story on NBC's Dateline this Friday, July 15, at 10 pm ET.
