Missing Toddler’s Father Accused Of Murdering Mother

ANSONIA — During a 38-minute car ride with police shortly after his 1‑year-old daughter went missing, Jose Morales never asked about the child. When cops told him he wasn’t doing anything to help find her, he allegedly responded: ​“I understand.”

Earlier he claimed not to be that close to the little girl, or her mother, 43-year-old Christine Holloway.

But now Morales is now charged with murdering Holloway inside her Myrtle Avenue home around Dec. 2.

And their daughter, Vanessa Morales, who lived in the house with her mom, hasn’t been seen since the end of November.

Police said Morales was the last person to see Vanessa before she went missing.

The details come from a warrant Ansonia police used to arrest Morales, 43, on Friday. He is charged with murder, and tampering with evidence.

At a press conference announcing the arrest in Ansonia City Hall, police said they believe Vanessa is alive and that someone knows where the little girl is. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information.

Anyone with information about Vanessa’s whereabouts should call the Ansonia Police Department at 203 – 735-1885, or the F.B.I. tip line at 203 – 503-5555 or 800 – 225-5324.

After Holloway’s body was found inside a bath tub Monday Dec. 2, Morales, who did not live with her but visited on the weekends, was immediately evasive with police, according to the warrant. Holloway had been beaten to death, a piece of her skull missing.

Morales allegedly told police he had not stayed with Holloway and Vanessa that weekend. Police said cell phone data places him in Ansonia.

And his step-father and mother, who live in New Haven and were interviewed in their home, told police Morales had stayed in Ansonia the days before Holloway was found dead. 

A neighbor said he saw Morales leave the Myrtle Avenue house Dec. 2 — shortly after a police officer, responding to a request for a ​“welfare check,” had knocked on the door. Seeing nothing unusual, and no one answering the door, the officer left (police discovered the body after a second request for a welfare check later in the day).

After learning that Holloway had been murdered and Vanessa was missing, Morales’ step-father yelled at him, asking if he had anything to do with it. Police described Morales as having ​“no emotion.”

His family, in front of police, pressed Morales for information as to Vanessa’s whereabouts.

“Morales continued to deny having any knowledge of her location or what may have happened to her,” according to the arrest warrant. ​“Morales continued to show little to no signs of emotion.”

Morales’ mother, distraught after learning Holloway was dead and Vanessa was missing, told police, in front of Morales, that Holloway was elated to have had a baby at age 43. Now she would not have the chance to enjoy her child.

“Morales showed no reaction to what was being said to him,” according to the warrant.

After Morales, a previously convicted felon, was jailed for allegedly possessing stun guns, Ansonia police conducted more interviews with him.

According to the warrant, they told him they had evidence connecting him to Holloway’s murder, including:

• Surveillance video showing his vehicle in the vicinity of a clothing donation bin on Derby Avenue in Derby. Inside that bin police found items with Holloway’s blood, including a child’s shoe and a green T‑shirt.

• A black garbage bag from Morales’ vehicle with Holloway’s blood on it.

• His hair, allegedly found tangled in Holloway’s fingers.

Morales allegedly told police he had been high on PCP while visiting with Holloway and Vanessa at the end of November, and that he remembered people trying to break into the Myrtle Avenue house. He said the unidentified people may have been responsible for Holloway’s murder and the child’s disappearance, according to the warrant.

The warrant states that police received a 911 call from Morales’ cell phone (in Ansonia near Myrtle Avenue) at about 2 a.m. Dec. 1. A male, believed to be Morales, repeatedly said ​“Myrtle Avenue” in a ​“somewhat slurred” voice. A woman’s voice is heard in the background asking him who’s he calling. Police did not have a specific address, but sent officers to Myrtle Avenue who saw nothing out of the ordinary. Police also called the number back but received no answer.

During interviews, police told Morales that they didn’t not believe his story about people trying to get into the house.

“(Detective) Adcox confronted Morales by saying the ​‘other guys’ excuse did not appear to have ever taken place, and that it was more likely that Morales had made a terrible mistake.
Det. Adcox asked where Vanessa was and Morales claimed that he did not take her or remember seeing her and went back to blaming the ​‘other guys’ for taking her,” according to the warrant.

Police also told Morales they believed he had tried to conceal his involvement in Holloway’s murder by cleaning up the crime scene and disposing of evidence.

“Morales continued to blame the ​‘other guys’ for what happened but never denied cleaning up the scene and would only say that if he did clean up, he does not remember doing so,” according to the warrant.

During a police interview Dec. 23, investigators accused Morales of being responsible for Holloway’s death.

“He appeared to take everything in, get emotional at times, and then revert to blaming others for being responsible. The interview ended with Morales denying having any recollection of where Vanessa was, killing Christine, or cleaning up the scene,” according to the warrant. ​“Morales claimed that he would never have done those things because he loved Christine and Vanessa, and that whoever killed Christine will have Vanessa because they took her.”

Friday’s Press Conference Is Embedded Below

A statement from police is published after the video.

STATEMENT FROM ANSONIA POLICE:

Today, February 7, 2020, at approximately 11:30 A.M. Jose Morales was arrested and charged with Murder and Tampering with Evidence in the homicide of Christine Holloway. Morales is being held on a 5 million dollar bond and is set to be arraigned this afternoon at 2:00 P.M. in Derby Superior Court. The arrest of Jose Morales is the next step in presenting a case for prosecution in the homicide of Christine Holloway. The Ansonia Police Department continues to investigate the homicide, following leads, along with evaluating and testing evidence to add to the prosecution of Jose Morales. Anyone with information regarding the homicide of Christine Holloway should contact the Ansonia Police Department.

As you know, the homicide is only one part of the investigation. The Ansonia Police Department, along with our law enforcement partners continue to follow leads and tips in the disappearance of baby Vanessa. We hope that this arrest will lead to more information on the whereabouts of baby Vanessa. We encourage anyone with information regarding baby Vanessa, where she is or who she may be with to come forward. The circumstances of how baby Vanessa came into their custody is irrelevant at this point, our goal is to return baby Vanessa safely to her family.

At this time, on behalf of Chief Cota, the Ansonia Police Department would like to recognize and thank the following people for their work, commitment and assistance in this investigation:

All of the sworn and civilian members of the Ansonia Police Department, in particular:

Lt. Wayne Williams

Det. Sgt. James Frolish

Det. Stephen Adcox

Det. Kristen Hunt-Flynn

Det. Brian Harte

Det. Richard Esposito

Det. Jon Troesser

The Derby Police Department, in particular:

Chief Gerald Narowski

Lieutenant Justin Stanko

Det. Sgt. John Netto

Det. Gino DiMauro

Det. Ben Bartone

Det. Edward Sullivan

Off. Joseph Massetti

All of the special agents, task force officers and civilian employees from the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Haven Office, in particular

Special Agent in Charge Brian Turner

Asst Special Agent in Charge Ari Papadacos

Special Agent Wendy Bowersox

Supervisory Special Agent Jeff Waterman

Supervisory Special Agent Kurt Siuzdak

The members of the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Unit and Behavior Analysis Unit

The Connecticut State Police, in particular:

Colonel Stavros Mellekas

Major Scott Smith

Lieutenant Shawn Corey

Sgt. Matt Gunsales

Sgt. Ralph Soda

Sgt. Anthony Juliano

The Central District Major Crimes Unit and The Emergency Services Unit

The following police departments:

Hamden PD

Naugatuck PD

New Haven PD

Stratford PD

Finally and most importantly, we would like to thank the citizens who have provided tips, information and their support throughout this investigation.