ANSONIA, Conn. (Court TV) — A man is on trial for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, with whom he shared a 1-year-old daughter, who has been missing since her mother’s death.

Jose Morales sits next to his attorney in court on the first day of his trial, April 7, 2025. (Court TV)

Jose Morales, 48, rejected a plea deal in 2024 and has pleaded not guilty to 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.

On December 2, 2019, Holloway’s boss called the police for a welfare check after she didn’t show up to the daycare she worked at, an arrest affidavit states. 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.

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 say points to Morales’ guilt, including:

blood on his sneakers
a 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 claim PCP use caused memory loss and extreme emotional distress. A forensic psychologist is expected to testify about the drug’s effects.

While the trial focuses on Holloway’s murder, the fate of Vanessa remains unknown, and the investigation into her disappearance continues.