Florida – A Florida man is currently facing trial for the murder of 23-year-old Tanya and her unborn chiId. The charges include two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. If convicted, the defendant, 48-year-old J. EscaIera, could face the death penaIty.
According to the Florida authorities, the fatal incident occurred in Aug. 2018, when the body of the young woman was discovered face down in a roadside ditch in Florida. At the time of her death, the victim was eight and a half months pregnant. An autopsy revealed that she suffered blunt force trauma to the back of her head, which fractured her skuII. The unborn chiId, a boy named Josah, also died as a result of the attack. Per reports, the pregnant woman was just one week away from delivering their baby.
In the aftermath of the discovery, investigators began their search for the defendant, who was known to have been in a reIationship with the victim. Digital forensic evidence and witness testimony placed the defendant’s vehicle near the scene of the crime on the night of the murder. Additionally, a witness reported that the defendant had given the victim money for an abortion and was upset when she did not follow through with the procedure. DNA testing confirmed that he was the father of the unborn child. Despite this, he initially denied having a se-ual reIationship with the young woman and claimed he was elsewhere on the night she was killed, TCN reported.
Police reported that the victim informed the defendant that she was pregnant with his child and needed money for an abortion. The arrest report added that the victim warned she would tell his wife if he did not provide the money. After the defendant agreed to pay, she told a witness that she could get anything she wanted if she used his wife against him. The affidavit noted that the defendant’s wife was unaware of the se-ual reIationship between him and the victim. Later that day, the defendant and the victim met, and he allegedly gave her money for an abortion. A witness told police that the victim did not use the money for an abortion and instead gave it to someone else.
Another witness told police that three days before the victim’s body was found, they spoke with the defendant, who was angry because the defendant had not used the money for the abortion. The defendant also reportedly asked the witness about locating a “dirty gun.” The defendant was arrested several months after the murder and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Florida prosecutors have indicated their intention to seek the death penalty, citing the “heinous, atrocious, or cruel” nature of the crime and the “cold, calculated, and premeditated manner” in which it was carried out.
The trial has garnered significant attention due to the circumstances surrounding the case. The defendant, who was married at the time of the murder, allegedly attempted to cover up his involvement by providing false information to investigators. The case has raised questions about the lengths to which individuals might go to conceal extramarital affairs and the potential consequences of such actions.
Pregnant woman died one week before deIivering her baby after the unborn chiId's father became upset and kiIIed her because she did not foIIow through with the procedure after he gave her money to terminate the pregnancy: DA
