ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (Scripps News West Palm Beach/Court TV) — A Florida judge confirmed a jury’s recommendation that a man convicted of murdering his pregnant mistress and unborn child be put to death.
Jose Antonio Soto-Escalera was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Tania Wise and their unborn child. The jury deliberated for approximately an hour before returning its verdict. The same jury, tasked with deciding whether he should face the death penalty, deliberated for under two hours before deciding in a vote of eight to four that he should be put to death. The formal sentence of death was handed down after a Spencer hearing.
Jose Soto-Escalera appears in court for his murder trial Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (Court TV)
According to court documents, the body of 23-year-old Wise was found face down in a roadside drainage ditch on Aug. 24, 2018. At the time of her death, Wise was eight and a half months pregnant. Authorities said DNA determined Soto-Escalera was the father of the unborn child, reported Scripps News West Palm Beach.
Court documents detail that Soto-Escalera was married at the time of the murder. A witness told investigators that Soto-Escalera had given Wise money for an abortion and believed the defendant was mad because Wise did not follow through and kept the money.
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
DAY 7 – 9/25/25
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 7 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- Witnesses for the defense took the stand in Soto-Escalera’s penalty phase on Thursday:
- The deposition of Madeline Colon, the defendant’s ex-girlfriend, was read to the jury.
- Met on MySpace in 2008. Had a son together. They broke up due to Soto-Escalera’s infidelity.
- Defendant never paid formal child support but provided for their son.
- Defendant was never violent towards her, even during an incident where she burned his clothes and keyed his truck after discovering he was seeing other women.
- Testified the defendant worked at a club breaking up fights, and wasn’t a violent person.
- Two of Soto-Escalera’s cousins testified, Taisha Hernandez and Monica Ropiza:
- Both described the defendant as nonviolent and a positive role model who tried to support the family.
- Carmen Escalera, the defendant’s mother, described her son as nonviolent and said he was often the one being defended from others.
- Defense attorneys told the court that the defendant’s ex-wife has been contacting witnesses and telling them not to testify.
- Prosecutor Donald Richardson presents the State’s closing argument in the penalty phase of Jose Soto-Escalera’s trial, saying Soto-Escalera ‘developed a plan’ for Tania Wise’s murder that was ‘in-depth and devious.’
- WATCH: State: Jose Soto-Escalera ‘Developed a Plan’ That Was ‘In-Depth and Devious’
- Argued defendant knew consequences of divorce – “going to lose everything.”
- Argued defendant planned the murders, making statements two days before about not being able to kill Wise in his truck and asking about a ghost gun weeks before. Defendant also planned to frame someone else.
- Defendant believed he would lose everything if wife found out about pregnancy, argued he could have come clean and been accountable to wife, but chose murder instead.
- The defense acknowledges Soto-Escalera murdered Tania and Josiah but argues for a sentence of life in prison.
- Argued defendant’s intent and hatred was aimed at Tania, not the baby.
- No significant history of prior criminality – this is an “explosion of violence that comes out of nowhere.”
- Argued he doesn’t pose a danger to other inmates and can positively contribute to society while in prison as a worker.
- The jury recommended Jose Soto-Escalera, who was convicted of murdering his pregnant mistress and unborn child, be put to death.
DAY 6 – 9/24/25
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 6 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- Before the penalty phase of Soto-Escalera’s trial got underway on Wednesday, the defense told the judge that witnesses who were supposed to testify no longer wanted to, fearing backlash.
- Seven family members of Tania Wise took the stand.
- Wise’s family described the immense pain and suffering they’ve experienced since her and Josiah’s (unborn child) murders.
- WATCH: Tania Wise’s Mother Addresses Court: ‘The Grief is Overwhelming’
- Tania’s oldest son, Jamar Bedolla, read a statement he prepared in which he spoke of all the milestones his mother will miss in his life, including meeting his girlfriend and performing with his school’s marching band. He said he hoped she would be proud of him for coming into court to speak of his pain.
- Two witnesses testified for the defense:
- Raul Banasco, Prison and Jail Expert
- Testified that the defendant is a good candidate for prison, that he adjusted well in jail and that in the 7 years he’s been in jail, he’s never been in trouble for anything violent.
- Testified that inmates on death row get their own tv and toilet, while life in prison do not; That inmates on death row are not required to work, while inmates in prison for life are; That inmates on death row get a tablet to speak to their family.
- Testified that the defendant has construction and carpentry skills that would be a good contribution to a prison.
- Lucinda Cook, ex-partner of defendant:
- Testified that she dated and lived with the defendant for 4-5 years starting in 2006.
- She said she was really mean to him because she had just come out of an abusive relationship when she began to date him. And that he was never violent and barely even argued with her – even when she threw his motorcycle and spit on him.
- She said he was always kind and showed good character to her and her children.
- Raul Banasco, Prison and Jail Expert
DAY 5 – 9/19/20
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 5 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- Donald Richardson delivered the closing argument for the prosecution, reminding the jury to follow the law and outlining the themes of motive, opportunity and intent in the case.
- Richardson reminded the jury that the defendant denied having sex with the victim, while DNA evidence proved he was the father of her unborn child.
- The defendant’s own statements, in which he appeared to plan the victim’s murder, were brought up.
- Richardson detailed evidence in the case, including the injuries to Wise’s body, DNA evidence found in the defendant’s truck and witnesses who said Soto-Escalera wanted to buy a gun.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: State’s Closing Arguments
- Jose Soto-Escalera’s attorney, Ashley Minton, told the jury that if her client did this, it wasn’t murder but a crime of passion without premeditation.
- Minton said that the translator made mistakes when going through the defendant’s conversations because they were inexperienced, and that the evidence doesn’t point to a meticulously planned crime.
- Minton suggested that Wise’s DNA in the defendant’s truck could have been the result of consensual sexual contact.
- Soto-Escalera lied to protect his marriage and hide his infidelity, not to cover up a murder.
- Others had means, motive and opportunity but weren’t investigated once the defendant was identified as the child’s father.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Defense Closing Arguments
- The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning a verdict.
DAY 4 – 9/18/25
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 4 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- An interpreter who translated recordings captured on the defendant’s work truck the day after the murder took the stand.
- The state rested its case-in-chief.
- The defendant declined to testify ,and the defense rested without calling any witnesses.
- Closing arguments are expected on Friday morning.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Day 4 Recap
DAY 3 – 9/17/25
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 3 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- The translated transcript from a conversation between Soto-Escalero and his nephew was read into evidence by the prosecution and a translator. In the conversation, Soto-Escalero appears to discuss plans to murder Wise and how best to destroy evidence afterwards.
- Katherine Scott, resident of Larchmont Lane, testified about her home security surveillance footage from the night of the alleged crime.
- Scott confirmed the presence of four security cameras at her home—two positioned in the front and two in the back—which were actively recording on August 23, 2018.
- She authenticated the footage presented in court, attesting to its accuracy and verifying that it had not been tampered with, and that she provided the raw video directly to law enforcement.
- The footage in question captured a car driving by her residence at 8:25 p.m., directly correlating to the time frame under investigation.
- Det. Christopher Newman, investigating officer, provided context on the physical proximity of relevant locations on Larchmont Lane. Newman detailed that the victim’s residence at 2014 SW Larchmont Lane is approximately 470 feet, or about four houses, away from the address at 2086 Larchmont Lane, establishing the spatial relationship central to the investigation.
- Norma Campos, FBI Language Specialist, testified as a Spanish interpreter and translator for critical audio evidence.
- Campos attested to her extensive experience as a professional language specialist for the FBI, including daily Spanish use and 11 years of contract work, and described the peer review process for certified translations used in court.
- She translated audio conversations containing repeated threats by the defendant to kill a pregnant woman (“I’m going to blow her brains out so she doesn’t talk,” “I have no choice, I’ll lose everything”), including detailed plans about “dumping” the body, masking evidence, and enlisting a driver for the act.
- Campos described difficulties with the recordings due to background noise and unintelligible sections, stating she only translated segments where the speaker was clearly audible.
- On cross examination, she acknowledged limited audibility and described the standard FBI translation workflow, including peer review and reliance on the most audible portions for her official transcript.
- Tamara Marquez Carreno, neighbor, testified regarding her own surveillance system and observations on the night in question.
- Marquez Carreno confirmed that her house was equipped with functioning surveillance cameras that clearly recorded her front yard and driveway on August 23, 2018.
- She verified the accuracy of the surveillance footage submitted in the trial, specifically identifying her property and corroborating the appearance, vehicles, and sequence shown in the video.
- When questioned about the neighbor’s truck depicted in the footage, Marquez Carreno confirmed its regular parking location and identified the driver as a man who parked behind her husband’s car.
DAY 2 – 9/16/25
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 2 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Detective Christopher Newman returned to the stand for cross-examination.
- Newman confirmed that he took DNA samples from multiple men who could have been Josiah’s father.
- FBI Special Agent Kelly DiPietrantonio testified as a cell phone analyst.
- The cell phone analysis tracked the movement of Soto-Escalera’s phone as it moved closer to Wise’s residence and then Wise’s phone as it moved away.
- Indian River Crime Lab criminalist Wayne Walker Jr. testified to the DNA tested in the case, which identified Soto-Escalera as the father of Wise’s unborn child.
- Swabs of a vehicle seized in the case revealed DNA from Soto-Escalera. A portion of carpet cut from the driver’s side of the vehicle tested positive for Wise’s blood.
- Former DNA analyst William Hausman used Starmix software to interpret DNA profiles that contained mixtures from more than one person, tested DNA extracts from the passenger side headrest and confirmed a mixture of three individuals; Tania Wise could not be excluded as a contributor.
- Statistical analysis showed the DNA profile was 4.5 million times more likely to originate from Tania Wise and three unknown contributors than from four unknown contributors.
- The level of support for the finding was classified as “strong.”
- Confirmed that it is possible to obtain DNA results from samples that are decades old.
- Retired crime scene supervisor Donna Carmichael participated in three searches of the defendant’s Dodge Ram truck: once with consent and twice via search warrants on August 25, August 31, and September 24.
- The vehicle was returned to the defendant on September 10 and then taken back into custody for further search on September 24.
- Collected data from the SD card of a Waste Pro garbage truck, which was entered into exhibit.
- FBI digital forensic examiner David Mingarelli analyzed video and audio recordings from the Waste Pro garbage truck dated August 21, 23, 25, and 27, 2018, confirming the presence of hash values and examining the accuracy of the data.
- Clarified that the video files were received in one-minute segments and not all files were received initially.
- Waste Pro operations manager Adolfo Coelli confirmed that Jose Soto-Escalera was the driver of Waste Pro garbage truck 1363 in August 2018.
- Detailed that the truck is equipped with four cameras (driver-facing, cab, rear/hopper) and a microphone to record both audio and video.
Stated that he regularly reviews footage from residential rear-loader trucks and has no personal conflicts with the driver, Jose Soto-Escalera.
- Detailed that the truck is equipped with four cameras (driver-facing, cab, rear/hopper) and a microphone to record both audio and video.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Day 2 Recap
DAY 1 – 9/15/25
- LIVESTREAM: FL v. Jose Soto-Escalera – Day 1 | Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial
- Justin Cormier delivered the opening statement for the prosecution, telling the jury that Jose Soto-Escalera murdered the victim, who was 38 weeks pregnant, to hide their affair.
- Tania Wise suffered two major injuries: she was struck on the top of her head, causing skull fractures and hematomas and a 19cm cut across her neck through her jugular vein, almost to her spinal cord.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Defendant ‘Had a Big Problem…Tania Wise’
- Ashley Minton delivered the defense’s opening statement, saying that Wise’s work as an escort brought her into contact with “unsavory characters.”
- Law enforcement collected DNA from several men, including a longtime boyfriend, a pimp and someone who dropped the victim off on the night of the murder.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Opening Statements
- Witness Christine Gavin testified to finding Wise’s body in a drainage ditch.
- Gavin was driving and looking out of her window when she saw what she initially thought was a bag before turning around and calling 911.
- St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Dep. Joshua Gilkey was the first responder on the scene, and said he met with Gavin after she reported finding a dead body in a partially wooded area.
- Witness William Mullan, who owned a pizza restaurant in Vero Beach, said that while driving home from work late on Aug. 23, he saw a truck on the side of the road between 11 and 11:30 p.m. The truck didn’t have its regular lights on and was creeping slowly, which he found suspicious.
- When Mullan noticed the road was blocked off the next day, he reached out to the police.
- Wise’s mother, Elizabeth Bertolla, testified that her daughter had been excited to have a second child and planned to name the unborn boy Josiah Thomas.
- The last day Bertolla saw her daughter, she was leaving to go get drinks for her son and had planned to go to a follow-up appointment the following Tuesday to schedule a C-section with her doctor.
- Bertolla said that Wise’s phone was paid for by Bradley Rodriguez Jr., her longtime boyfriend. Bertolla said she didn’t like Rodriguez, who would frequently be violent with Wise.
- Bertolla also mentioned another boyfriend of Wise’s named Mark Burke.
- Bertolla was questioned about whether she had ever seen Rodriguez be violent and whether she knew if he had threatened Wise.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Victim’s Mother Takes Stand
- Associate Medical Examiner Linda O’Neil testified to Wise’s autopsy.
- O’Neil identified Wise’s injuries as including a large wound to her head that left her skull visible.
- The injuries were described as blunt trauma, meaning they were inflicted by a forceful blow with an object. O’Neil said she did not believe human hands could cause the injuries.
- Other injuries to Wise’s body included a 19 cm cut across her neck that approached her spine. The wounds started on the front of her neck and ended at the back.
- The unborn child was found to be fully formed and 38 weeks with no abnormalities. While the baby was healthy, it died after its mother died.
- Dr. Ruel Stoessel, a high-risk obstetrician, testified that Wise had been referred to his office because she had a history of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), which causes the heart to beat too fast.
- Stoessell said that the infant’s growth was normal and both mother and child had been healthy during the pregnancy.
- Kenneth Barron, who previously worked with Soto-Escalera, said that in the summer of 2018, the defendant approached him about buying a firearm.
- The defendant told Barron that he wanted something like a ghost gun that would be off the record. Barron responded that he didn’t have anything illegal to sell.
- WATCH: Former Co-Worker Said Jose Antonio Soto-Escalera Asked for ‘Ghost Gun’
- Crime scene investigator Genynne Hiller testified to gruesome photos showing the victim where she was found by the side of the road.
- Wise was found with her left hand grasping grass, clenched into a fist. Her clothing was wet and vomit was observed near her face.
- Evidence collected from the scene included hair hanging from a tree and impressions in the dirt.
- A Dodge Ram truck that was searched tested positive for the presence of blood.
- WATCH: Crime Scene Investigator Details Graphic Photos in Pregnant Mistress Murder
- Firearms examiner and tire impressions expert Mark Chapman testified to tire marks from the scene, which he said did not match the vehicle in question.
- St. Lucie Co. Sheriff’s Office Detective Christopher Newman testified to a recorded police interview that investigators conducted with the defendant.
- Identified Tania’s connections: boyfriend Bradley Rodriguez, Mark Burke, Giovanni, Eric Alvarado (confirmed Escalera’s cousin/nephew).
- Escalera had known Tania for about two months through Bradley; not personally close to her or friends on social media.
- Only spoke to Tania regarding her son visiting; said he watched her son (Jamar) occasionally.
- Last contact with Tania was by phone on Thursday, when she was supposed to bring her son over Friday, but she never showed up or called back.
- Escalera described Tania as “mellow crazy”; no romantic relationship with her; denied ever having sex with her.
- Provided his whereabouts for Thursday night: fixing Andre’s car in Port St. Lucie; said he got home around 9–10 p.m.
- Allowed police to take a buccal swab for DNA testing; expressed willingness to cooperate.
- Confirmed Tania had once complained Bradley hit her during an argument.
- Newman informed Escalera during the interview that Tania was found dead; Escalera appeared shocked and denied any involvement.
- Stated his Dodge Ram truck was rarely used by others, Tania had only been in it once.
- Asserted he had no business or financial dealings with Tania.
- Provided further background on family, work, personal routine, and clarified minimal social media use.
- Repeated he had no sexual or intimate relationship with Tania and offered DNA for exclusion.
- WATCH: Pregnant Mistress Murder Trial: Day 1 Recap
Parts of this story were reported by a journalist and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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