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A woman in Texas will be behind bars for the rest of her days for the murder of a 23-year-old woman she caught in bed with her boyfriend three years ago.
WFAA reported that 60-year-old Lisa Dykes was found guilty of murder and tampering with evidence in the brutal death of Marisela Botello-Valadez on Wednesday. For those who have not kept up with the case, here is a rundown of the tragedy. According to an arrest warrant previously obtained by People, the young woman had traveled to Dallas from Seattle to visit a friend on October 2, 2020. Marisela took a Lyft from the pal’s home two days later — and she never returned!
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It wasn’t until five months later, on March 24, 2021, that Marisela’s body was found in a wooded area in Wilmer, Texas. So, so sad. But what happened to her? On the night of her disappearance, Marisela reportedly went out by herself to several nightclubs in the Deep Ellum entertainment district of the city. While at the club, she met a man. They later left together. And that was the last time anyone saw her alive.
With the help of cell phone records, law enforcement soon discovered Marisela had been at the home of Dykes, Charles Beltran, and Nina Marano in Mesquite, Texas, “on the last date [Botello-Valadez] was known to be alive,” per the affidavit. During a search of the residence, police discovered “the carpet had been cleaned, but streaks of brown and red color, the appearance of blood, were underneath the carpet.”
Police also stated in the affidavit they found Marisela’s blood on “one of the carpets and pads from what was believed to be Beltran’s bedroom,” adding:
“There are no records to show [Botello Valadez] was treated at any medical facility. There are no records to show that an ambulance was dispatched to the suspect’s address.”
Dykes and Marano were then arrested in Florida in March 2021, while Beltran was taken into custody in Utah a month later. The trio were charged with murder. During the trial in December of this year, prosecutors revealed Dykes was in a throuple with Beltran and her wife, Marano. And she apparently didn’t like Beltran meeting up with other women during their relationship. Prosecutors argued she had gone into a “jealous rage” and stabbed Marisela to death after seeing her in bed with her cheating boyfriend Beltran. They then said she disposed of Marisela’s body.
However, Dykes denied being romantically involved with Beltran. She claimed on the stand that he was only a business associate of hers and their interests went sideways. Hmm. Her defense attorney, Heath Harris, went on to claim in court, per Fox 4:
“For some reason, she lost it that night. That’s sudden passion. That’s what you heard from the witness stand.”
But the jury was not buying their arguments. Dykes was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the murder. She also received an additional 20 years for the tampering offense. Her lawyer has since filed a notice of appeal.
As for the other two allegedly involved in the crime? NBC 5 reported that the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office filed motions to dismiss the murder charges against Beltran and Marano as they testified during Dykes’ trial.
It is horrific what happened to Marisela. Reactions to the case? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth/YouTube, Marisela Botello-Valadez/Facebook]
