Michel Escoto is in jail now as he got sentenced to prison life in May 2014.
During the early morning hours of October 14, 2002, Wendy was found bludgeoned to death in a warehouse parking lot.
While the authorities suspected her husband of four days, Michel Escoto, of killing her, they didn’t have any evidence to tie him to the case. That changed with Yolanda Cerrillo, his ex-girlfriend, coming forward with information that eventually led to Michel Escoto’s conviction.
Although, Escoto declined to accept responsibility for murdering his wife during his sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Dateline; Where Is Michel Escoto Now?
Michel has been in jail since he was sentenced to prison for his life in May 2014, according to thefreelibrary.com. Before that, he got first sentenced to 30 days in lock-up.
He and Wendy Trapage were in the dash for a ceremony with no guests at Miami Beach City Hall. Similarly, the 28 years old bride was full of love, and she could not wait to marry him.
However, Wendy could not see the dark reason behind that and married Michel as soon as possible. She had signed a life insurance policy and has found dead just after their four days of weeding.
Wendy Trapage Muder Case
Wendy Trapage got found dead after she got married to Michael. Similarly, she got killed by her husband to take part in a scheme to collect a $1 million insurance policy.
Furthermore, the police caught Michael in 2005 for the murder of Wendy’s. Myriam Benitez as personal representative and as heir of the estate of her daughter, Yolanda Cerrillo, the ex-girlfriend of Escoto, for wrongful death.
In the murder case, David C. Miller was the judge, and the trial lengths lasted two days. Likewise, trial deliberations lasted four hours. It was the case of $44,000,000 which got held in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
The case got registered on September 4, 2013, and there were two parties, Myriam Benitez and the Estate of Wendy Marie Trapaga. The defender was Yolanda Cerrillo.
Who is Yolanda Cerrillo?
Michel was in a relationship with Yolanda Cerrillo before he left her for Wendy Trapaga. Michel and Wendy then married in October 2002, but the latter was killed just days later.
The authorities felt Michel killed his wife to collect the life insurance money, but no evidence connected him to the murder. That changed when Yolanda began cooperating with the authorities in 2006. But initially, she didn’t provide all the information, only admitting that in 2011.
Eventually, Yolanda’s testimony regarding the events leading up to Wendy’s killing proved vital in garnering Michel’s conviction.
Yolanda said that despite the break-up, she and Michel kept in touch. When Yolanda learned about him moving in with Wendy, she confronted him in the parking lot of a restaurant. At that point, Yolanda claimed that he planned to use Wendy for the insurance money.
Michael Escoto’s Age And Girlfriend Details
Michael is 50 years old in 2022 and stands six feet and 0.2 inches tall.
Yolanda Cerrillo witnessed that she was desperately in love with Escoto, and she has given her everything possible to keep Michael in her life. She clarifies how Escoto planned to kill his wife.
They filled the tub, and then she went to the water, and he got kneeling inside the water and pushed her down with his hands, Yolanda told. She said that Escoto released his wife once and notified him why he wouldn’t be successful.
Yolanda told Michael that it would not work as the force of him holding her down in the water would leave bruises.
Where is Yolanda Cerrillo Today?
Yolanda cut a deal with the prosecution, receiving immunity in exchange for her testimony. So, she wasn’t put on trial or received any jail time for her involvement in the crime.
Yolanda said, “He (Michel) told me that he loved me, that … he didn’t love her, that it was a plan, that he was going to get an insurance policy on her and that she was going to die and that we were going to be together, that we were going to get married.”
Wendy’s family eventually filed a wrongful death claim against Yolanda and won a $44 million judgment. An accountant by profession, Yolanda, a mother, seems to currently live in Miami, Florida. However, she has understandably maintained a low profile since the trial.
