TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – The trial of Christopher Clements, who is accused of the murder of six-year-old Isabel Celis, is set to enter its third week as the prosecution wraps up its list of witnesses. As the trial progresses, the jury will be presented with a detailed account of Clements’ activities on the night Celis went missing. It is worth noting that Clements is already serving a life sentence for another young girl’s murder, a fact that the jury is unaware of to ensure a fair trial.
Prosecutors have been using various pieces of evidence, including cell phone tracking and photos found on Clements’ devices, to paint a picture of someone with a disturbing interest in young girls who was in close proximity to where Celis’ remains were ultimately discovered years after her disappearance. However, no DNA evidence has been found linking Clements to the girl’s bedroom, and there was no trace of Celis’ DNA in his car five years after she went missing.
Interestingly, Clements is already serving a life sentence for the kidnapping and murder of Maribel Gonzalez, who went missing in 2014. Gonzalez’s remains were also found in a similar area to where Celis’ remains were discovered. The Gonzalez case, unlike Celis’, had DNA evidence connecting Clements to the crime.
A juror from the Gonzalez trial, who wishes to remain anonymous, is closely following the trial of Clements in relation to Celis’ murder. This juror acknowledges the similarities between the two cases but questions whether this jury will find the absence of DNA evidence sufficient. Instead, cell phone tracking, which relies on general locations, will play a crucial role in attempting to establish Clements’ connection to Celis’ disappearance.
This is not the first trial for this case, as the first trial resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury. The Celis family has had to endure a second trial and relive the traumatic events surrounding Isabel’s disappearance. The anonymous juror hopes that a conviction will bring some measure of justice and closure to the Celis family.
The trial will resume on Wednesday, with the defense expected to call their own witnesses for rebuttal before closing arguments. The possibility of a verdict being reached this week cannot be ruled out, based on the timeline of the previous trial.
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