Jose Morales
MILFORD — Jose Morales, the man charged with the 2019 murder of Ansonia resident Christine Holloway and the last person, according to police, to be seen with his missing daughter, Vanessa, was offered a plea deal in Superior Court on Thursday morning (Jan. 18).
The details of the offer were not made public.
Morales is next due in court on March 7 to accept or reject the offer. His attorney declined comment outside the courtroom.
Morales appeared briefly in court in front of Judge Kevin S. Russo. The judge said the details of the plea offer have been shared with Holloway’s family.
The family declined comment outside court, but Jodi Jacobellis, Vanessa’s aunt, posted the following message on Friday, Jan. 19 to Valley Indy Facebook:
“On behalf of the Holloway family we would like to thank you for all your love and support during this whole nightmare my family has been through. We ask that you please keep our family in prayers and to please continue looking out for my niece Vanessa Morales. Thank you again for the bottom of our hearts. We pray that we can finally get justice for my sister-in-law Chrissy and that we can bring Vanessa home to us once again.”
A $10,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to finding Vanessa. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Vanessa, who is now 5 years old, should call the Ansonia Police Department at 203 – 735‑1885 or the F.B.I. tip line at 203 – 503‑5555.
Ansonia police arrested Morales on Feb. 7, 2020 and charged him with murdering Holloway, the mother of their 1‑year-old daughter, Vanessa, inside a residence on Myrtle Avenue in late 2019.
Holloway’s body was discovered in the home on Dec. 2, 2019. She died from blunt force trauma. Both Christine and Vanessa were last seen by family members on Nov. 29, 2019.
Morales was also charged with tampering with evidence. The arrest warrant states that Morales’ DNA was identified on several pieces of evidence, and that his vehicle had been recorded leaving Holloway’s residence after the murder.
When Morales’ family was informed by Ansonia Detective Richard Esposito that Christine had been murdered, the warrant describes Morales as “sitting there unemotional as if nothing was going on.”
Morales’ story shifted several times during interviews with officers, including claims that he had been smoking PCP with a friend and that he and Holloway had been victims of a break-in that led to her murder. The arrest warrant repeatedly describes Morales as reacting with little emotion to Holloway’s murder.
Morales appeared briefly in court on Jan. 18 in front of Judge Kevin S. Russo. The judge said the details of the plea offer have been shared with Holloway’s family.
Click here for a Valley Indy story on his prior court appearance.
Click here for a story about the anniversary of Vanessa’s disappearance. The story includes an age-enhanced photo of Vanessa that was released in 2022.
