What Happened To Wendy Trapaga? Husband Michel Escoto Whereabouts As Dateline Mystery In South Beach Airs
Wendy Trapaga died on October 14, 2002. She was found dead at a parking stop in Miami-Dade, Florida.
Trapaga’s family and friends were shocked to find the leads to her murderer. The NBC Dateline program Mystery in South Beach features her story. The episode will be shown on NBC on Friday, July 15, 2022, at 9 pm CT and 8 pm ET.
Dateline: What Happened To Wendy Trapaga?
Wendy Trapaga was a stunning Miami, Florida, resident. She was born in April 1981, and her mother reared her alone.
Trapaga’s dad died when she was only six years old, leaving her and her sibling in the total care of her mother. She grew up to become a well-behaved and religious lady. The 21-year-old loved fashion and makeovers and was completing her education at a beauty school.
Mysterious death of Miami newlywed, Wendy Trapaga, on ‘Dateline’ https://t.co/YTgBRsnwWE
— KSN News Wichita (@KSNNews) July 15, 2022
Trapaga met a Florida-based man named Michel Escoto in 2002. Two quickly fell in love and decided to remain with each other for the rest of their lives. As a result, they tied the knot on October 10, 2002.
The couple was not even married for a week, and Escoto called Trapaga’s mother and described her disappearance. He informed Wendy’s mom that she had been out of contact for a long.
On October 14, 2002, a cleaner at a parking lot found Wendy’s body next to a dustbin. She was both strangled and battered to death with a blunt weapon. Even though the murder weapon was still missing when the inquiry started
Michel Escoto Charged With The Murder Of Wendy Trapaga
Wendy Trapaga was killed by her husband, Michel Escoto, to collect the USD 1 million in life insurance.
Initially, Escoto tried his best to hide the murder. He revealed to the Police that the couple had stayed the previous night at a hotel as part of their wedding festivities. He claimed they entered the hotel room around 4 am on October 14. Wendy was then dropped off at the couple’s Florida house after the couple became argumentative.
Escoto telephoned Wendy’s mom at around 5:45 in the morning, speaking of his wife’s sudden disappearance.
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Following the investigation, Police found out about a USD 1 million life insurance policy in the name of Wendy. The policy had Michel Escoto as its beneficiary. Nevertheless, there was not sufficient evidence at the time to prove Escoto guilty.
The Police suspect went right when Escoto had quickly filed claims for the money.
Escoto got arrested in the year 2005. To prove Escoto guilty, Michael’s ex-partner also testified in the courts.
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Yolanda Cerrillo testified about her involvement in the murder. She said that the wedding to Went was a sham to get the insurance money.
Later, Yolanda came clean about her involvement in an earlier scheme to drown Wendy, and she assisted Escoto in covering up Wendy’s beating death at the warehouse. Ultimately, Michel Escoto was found guilty of killing his wife thanks to the evidence of his ex-girlfriend.
Where Is Michel Escoto Now?
Michel Escoto was found guilty of Wendy Trapaga’s murder in 2014.
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The jurors concluded that Escoto transported his wife to Miami’s warehouse area after she didn’t pass away in the hot tub after his strangulation and subsequent tire iron bludgeoning. Thus, he was given a life sentence without parole.
In 2022, Michael will be 50 years old. He stands six feet, 0.2 inches tall and will stay behind the bar until his death.
