ANSONIA, Conn. (Court TV) — A Connecticut man convicted of murdering his girlfriend was sentenced to 65 years in prison.
In April, Jose Morales was convicted of murder and tampering with evidence in the death of Christine Holloway, whose body was found in her home in December 2019. Their 1-year-old daughter, Vanessa Morales, has been missing ever since. While Morales has not been charged in her disappearance, he remains a suspect. At his sentencing, the judge ruled Vanessa’s disappearance would not be considered for purposes of sentencing.
Jose Morales appears in court April 21, 2025. (Court TV)
On December 2, 2019, Holloway’s boss called the police for a welfare check after she didn’t show up to the daycare where she worked, according to investigators. Later that day, her family reported her missing. When police contacted Morales, he denied involvement, but police noted that his story kept changing. Eventually, officers forced entry into Holloway’s home and found her nude, beaten body in the bathtub. The couple’s 1-year-old daughter was gone.
MORE | No answers on missing child after man sentenced for killing girlfriend
During a police interview, Morales admitted to using PCP throughout the weekend and claimed not to remember being at Holloway’s home that weekend, even though neighbors reportedly saw him. Investigators said Morales did place a 911 call from his phone at 1:52 a.m. on Dec. 1, which captured him repeating an address while a woman can be heard saying, “Stop, hang up. Who are you calling?”
Investigators found DNA and forensic evidence that they said pointed to Morales’ guilt, including:
- Blood on his sneakers
- Trash bag with Holloway’s blood in his trunk
- Morales’ hair in Holloway’s hands
- Surveillance video of Morales near donation bins where Holloway’s blood-stained items had been found
- Phone data that allegedly places Morales at the crime scene
Morales was arrested on Dec. 3, 2019, after police said they found illegal stun guns in his home. He was later charged with murder and evidence tampering.
Morales’ lawyers claimed PCP use caused memory loss and extreme emotional distress.
