5 chilling details about Wendy Trapaga's murder ahead of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

In October 2002, the small town of Miami Springs was shaken by Wendy Trapaga's brutal murder. The 21-year-old Wendy had been married for just four days when she was discovered beaten and strangled to death in a parking lot.

The incident led to an investigation and soon exposed the dark secrets behind her marriage to Michel Escoto and the involvement of another woman in the case. The chilling case is covered on the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled Mystery in South Beach, which originally aired on June 5, 2020. The episode is re-airing on August 20, 2025, on Oxygen.

---

Wendy Trapaga's murder: 5 details from the crime

Here are five gruesome details from the case of Wendy Marie Trapaga:

---

1. The tragic death of the newlywed Wendy Trapaga

In October 2002, four days after the 21-year-old Wendy Trapaga got married to Michel Escoto in Miami, she turned up dead. Her body was discovered in a North Miami-Dade warehouse district, and detectives reported that she had been beaten and strangled to death.

Prosecutors immediately suspected foul play, and her husband Escoto, who stood to gain her $1 million life insurance policy that Wendy had taken out before the couple got married, became the prime suspect.

---

2. Wendy's mother's testimony revealed concerning details

When her mother, Myriam Benitez, testified in court, she said that despite the occasional signs of tension between the couple, Wendy appeared to be happy with Escoto. She had even revealed to her mother that she was pregnant on the day of her wedding.

However, her mother had questioned her decision to take out a life insurance policy, especially when the couple was facing financial problems. Moreover, Benitez even recounted a troubling incident between the couple where Escoto, in a fit of rage, threw his motorcycle helmet furiously at Wendy while she stood silently nearby.

---

3. Yolanda Cerrillo's testimony

Wendy Trapaga's murder explored on Dateline (Image via Getty)

Yolanda Cerrillo was Michel Escoto’s longtime girlfriend. Despite marrying Wendy Trapaga, Escoto had maintained an ongoing relationship with Cerrillo. As reported by CBS Miami, she admitted to having helped Escoto plan and execute Wendy’s murder. In her testimony, Cerrillo said that they had practiced ways to kill Wendy, including drugging and drowning, before Escoto executed the plan.

According to Cerrillo, Escoto had spiked Wendy’s drink and then attempted to drown her in a Jacuzzi. But the plan failed, and Escoto appeared at Cerrillo's home with a semi-conscious Wendy in his car. He had then led her to the site of the crime, where he had reportedly strangled and bludgeoned Wendy to death.

---

4. The murder weapon and details of the crime

Yolanda Cerrillo said that although she did not witness the murder, she was present nearby in the car while Escoto executed the crime. According to her, he returned with a bloody tire iron wrapped in a rag, which he discarded in the Biscayne Bay. Police divers were later able to recover the weapon.

Despite her role in the murder, Cerrillo received immunity in exchange for her testimony against Escoto.

---

5. The trial and conviction of Escoto

When the case finally went to trial, Michel Escoto chose to represent himself in court. He cross-examined Cerrillo directly, attempting to paint her as a jealous ex-lover framing him for the crime. However, Cerrillo always maintained that the murder was their joint plot.

Escoto even confronted Myriam Benitez in court, asking her if she believed he had killed her daughter. The prosecution painted the murder as a “crime of greed,” arguing that Escoto’s motive was to profit from the $1 million policy that Wendy Trapaga held. After two hours of deliberations, the jury pronounced Escoto guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

---

Catch more about the case on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered.