Are Kody Patten and Toni Fratto In Jail Now? Micaela Costanzo Murder and Complete Timeline
Micaela Costanzo, a 16-year-old high school junior in West Wendover, Nevada, was murdered by her classmates, Kody Patten and Toni Fratto, and the case is featured on Dateline: Unforgettable Season 2 which premiered on June 7, 2022.
The terrible death of a Nevada teenager named Micaela Costanzo is the subject of the latest episode of Oxygen’s Dateline: Unforgettable. Micaela vanished on March 3, 2011, and was discovered dead in a cemetery two days later.
The episode delves into all of the details surrounding the unfortunate tragedy. In January 2013, “Dateline” aired an episode called “Under the Desert Sky” about the case.
Micaela was brutally murdered by her classmates, Kody Patten and Toni Fratto.
Are Kody Patten and Toni Fratto In Jail?
Kody Patten and Toni Fratto, the murderer of Micaela Costanzo, are currently serving time in jail. They eventually pleaded guilty in order to avoid the death penalty.
Patten and Fratto killed Costanzo by hitting her with a shovel and slitting her throat. They hid her body in a shallow grave which got later discovered by the police.
March 3rd, 2011: Kody Patten and Toni Fratto abducted a 16 year old girl and repeatedly hit her with a shovel. pic.twitter.com/cHvVakiHrG
— Serial Killers (@DailyKillerFact) October 5, 2016
Patten pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, while Fratto pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 18 years.
Micaela Costanzo Murder and Dateline Details
Micaela Rae “Mickey” Costanzo, a popular 16-year-old student at West Wendover High School, was recognized for taking on leadership roles. She worked on the school newspaper in addition to participating in basketball and track, where she was a standout athlete.
She went missing after track practice on March 3, 2011. Around 5:15 p.m., she was spotted exiting the school on security camera footage. Micaela’s family was concerned when she failed to show up at home and did not return calls or texts.
The search for the missing teen brought together the police and others in the community. On March 5, a volunteer driving along a rural route saw that the ground in the desert five miles outside of town had “been stirred.”
Tonight on @Oxygen at 8/7c on #Dateline Unforgettable: A family – and a story – that sticks with @Dateline_Keith to this day… pic.twitter.com/i9S24dFWxg
— Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) June 7, 2022
Micaela’s remains were unearthed in a shallow burial at the site. According to court filings, Mickey was beaten with a shovel and her throat was cut, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Boyfriend Kody Patten & Toni Fratto Killed A Classmate With A Plot
Toni Fratto and his boyfriend Kody Patten were the classmates of Micaela. Her classmates were interviewed, and her phone conversations and text messages were reviewed by detectives as they began their investigation.
These efforts led authorities to Kody Cree Patten, then 18 years old and a longtime acquaintance of Micaela’s. Toni Fratto, Patten’s current girlfriend, is 19 years old.
Fratto told Keith Morrison of Dateline NBC that Patten had abused and dominated her for the majority of their relationship and that he pushed her to participate in Mickey’s murder.
She stated she was afraid for her life after seeing him beat Mickey and that she had no choice but to comply with his demands.
