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Solved Case — Child Still Missing

The Murder of Christine Holloway

● Sentenced Intimate Partner Homicide Connecticut
Victim
Christine Holloway
Age at Death
43
Date of Death
December 1, 2019
Location
Ansonia, Connecticut
Cause of Death
Blunt Force Trauma
Perpetrator
Jose Morales
Sentence
65 Years
Daughter Vanessa
Still Missing — Age 6
Christine Holloway | 1976–2019
Full NameChristine Holloway
Age43
LocationAnsonia, Connecticut
EmployerBright Morning Star Daycare
DaughterVanessa Morales — Still Missing
The Victim

Christine Holloway

Christine Holloway was 43 years old and lived in a studio apartment on Myrtle Avenue in Ansonia, Connecticut. She worked at Bright Morning Star Daycare and was a mother to a 14-month-old daughter, Vanessa Morales, whose father was Christine's boyfriend, Jose Morales.

Christine was close to her brother Steven Holloway and his girlfriend Jodi Jacobellis. She and Vanessa spent weekdays at their home and stayed with Morales on weekends. Steven and Jodi described her as someone they spoke to and texted with daily, and said it was entirely out of character for her not to be in contact.

Christine was a woman with people who loved her and depended on her daily. She did not come home from a weekend with her boyfriend, and the community around her noticed immediately. Her brother, sister-in-law, and extended family attended every day of the murder trial that followed. They still search for Vanessa.

01
Background

What We Know

Christine Holloway was killed in the early morning hours of December 1, 2019, inside her apartment on Myrtle Avenue in Ansonia. She was not reported missing until the following day, December 2, when she failed to arrive for her shift at Bright Morning Star Daycare and her family grew concerned. When police entered her apartment that evening, they found her body in the bathtub. Vanessa, her 14-month-old daughter, was not in the apartment and has not been seen since.

Evidence presented at trial established that Christine was struck at least eight times in the head with an instrument that caused severe skull fractures and blunt force trauma resulting in her death. Following the attack, her killer spent approximately 36 to 37 hours methodically cleaning the crime scene before leaving her body in the bathtub and fleeing. Blood was later found on the walls, floor, and items throughout the apartment despite the attempted cleanup. Christine had strands of foreign hair in her hand.

Items belonging to Christine and Vanessa, including baby clothing, shoes, books, toys, and women's clothing, were later recovered from a donation bin at St. Michael's Church parking lot. The items had blood on them. Lab analysis confirmed the blood belonged to both Christine and Jose Morales. Blood from Christine was found on a pair of Nike sneakers belonging to Morales.

Case Timeline

How It Unfolded

November 29, 2019
Last Seen by Family
Christine and Vanessa are last seen by Steven Holloway and Jodi Jacobellis. The family later reports that Christine and Vanessa spent weekdays at Steven's home and weekends with Jose Morales. This was the last confirmed contact the family had with Christine alive.
December 1, 2019 — Early Morning
Christine Is Killed
Christine Holloway is killed inside her apartment. Evidence at trial established she was struck at least eight times in the head with an instrument causing severe skull fractures. Her killer spends approximately 37 hours cleaning the crime scene and disposing of blood-stained evidence before leaving her body in the bathtub.
December 2, 2019 — 12:52 p.m.
Welfare Check Called — Christine Found
Christine's employer contacts Ansonia Police after she fails to arrive for work. Family members also attempt to reach her and go to her apartment, finding no answer. That evening, police force entry after a neighbor confirms having seen Jose Morales at the apartment that afternoon, contradicting what Morales told detectives. Christine's body is found in the bathtub. Vanessa is not in the apartment.
December 3–4, 2019
Morales Taken into Custody — Bloody Evidence Found
Detectives visit Morales at 3:40 a.m. on December 3 and transport him for questioning. They note a large bruise on his chest, scratches, a black eye, and a swollen cheek. His story changes during questioning. He is taken into custody. On December 4, the director of Community Crusade for Children contacts police to report items with apparent blood stains donated to bins at St. Michael's Church parking lot. The items include baby clothing, Christine's mail, women's clothing, and a pair of Nike sneakers. DNA confirms the blood belongs to Christine and Morales.
February 7, 2020
Morales Formally Charged
Jose Morales is formally charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence. A 26-page arrest warrant application details the evidence gathered in the initial discovery stage. The FBI issues a $10,000 reward for information leading to Vanessa's location.
April 22, 2025
Morales Convicted — Murder and Tampering
Following a two-week trial at Milford Superior Court, a jury of six men and six women finds Jose Morales guilty of murder and tampering with physical evidence. The jury deliberates for less than four hours. At sentencing, Morales' bond is increased by $2.5 million. As marshals lead Morales away, Christine's brother calls out asking where Vanessa is. The question remains unanswered.
July 14, 2025
Morales Sentenced to 65 Years
Jose Morales is sentenced to 60 years for murder and 5 years for tampering with evidence, to run consecutively, for a total of 65 years. Morales declines to speak at sentencing. The judge rules that Vanessa's disappearance will not be considered for sentencing purposes. Morales has not been charged in connection with Vanessa's disappearance. He subsequently files an appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Present
Vanessa Remains Missing — Search Continues
Vanessa Morales turns 6 years old in September 2025. She has been missing for more than five years. Ansonia Police continue to investigate her disappearance. Morales remains a suspect but has not been charged. The FBI maintains a $10,000 reward for information leading to her location. Christine's family continues to share Vanessa's age-progressed photos on social media.
02
Investigation

The Investigation

The investigation into Christine's murder centered on Jose Morales from the first hours of the inquiry. When police first spoke to Morales on the evening of December 2, he stated his last contact with Christine was that morning when she was leaving for work. A neighbor then told police they had seen Morales at Christine's apartment that afternoon, directly contradicting his account. This provided probable cause for forced entry and the discovery of Christine's body.

When detectives spoke with Morales again in the early hours of December 3, his account shifted further. He mentioned a friend named Hector as an alibi witness, but Hector told police he could not corroborate the details and disclosed that Morales had called him to ask him to tell police they were together the entire weekend. Physical injuries on Morales, including a large chest bruise, scratches, a black eye, and a swollen cheek, were documented and photographed. The foreign hair found in Christine's hand was submitted for analysis.

The recovery of blood-stained items from the St. Michael's Church donation bin on December 4 was a significant development. DNA analysis confirmed Christine's blood on Morales's Nike sneakers and linked both Christine and Morales to the recovered items. Phone data also placed Morales at the crime scene. At trial, prosecutors established that the cleanup and disposal of evidence took place over approximately 37 hours, demonstrating deliberate and sustained action rather than impulsive behavior, directly contradicting the defense's argument that PCP intoxication impaired Morales's cognitive function.

At trial, Morales testified in his own defense, claiming two intruders broke into Christine's apartment, attacked her with a crowbar, and kidnapped Vanessa. He acknowledged cleaning the apartment and disposing of evidence afterward. The jury rejected both his third-party culpability defense and his intoxication defense, delivering a guilty verdict in under four hours. The search for Vanessa remains active and ongoing.

03
Arrest & Charges

The Accused

Jose Morales
Jose Morales
Age 48 — New Haven, Connecticut — Father of Vanessa / Boyfriend of Victim
Charges: Murder, tampering with physical evidence
Arrested: December 3, 2019 — formally charged February 7, 2020
Verdict: Guilty on both counts — April 22, 2025 — Milford Superior Court
Sentence: 65 years — 60 years murder, 5 years tampering — July 14, 2025
Appeal: Filed to Connecticut Supreme Court — September 2025
Vanessa: Morales has not been charged in connection with Vanessa's disappearance but remains a suspect
Key Evidence: DNA and blood linking Morales to crime scene, Christine's blood on his shoes, phone data placing him at the apartment, blood-stained items dumped in donation bin, foreign hair in Christine's hand, neighbor eyewitness, contradicted alibi
In Memoriam

They Are Not Forgotten

Christine Holloway
Vanessa Morales — Still Missing
Vanessa at 14 months / Age-progressed photo

Christine Holloway worked at a daycare. She loved her daughter and her family. She texted her brother and sister-in-law every day. She was the kind of person whose absence was noticed immediately, by her employer, by her family, by the people who depended on hearing from her. She was 43 years old.

Her family sat in that courtroom every day for two weeks and heard everything that was done to her. They wore white shirts with her face on the front and Vanessa's on the back. When the verdict was read, they cried. Her brother asked, as Morales was led away in handcuffs, where Vanessa was. No one answered.

Vanessa Morales was 14 months old when her mother was killed. She turns 7 in September 2025. She has been missing for more than five years. Her family has never stopped posting her photos, sharing her age-progressed images, and asking the public for help. The man convicted of killing her mother has not been charged in connection with her disappearance. The search for Vanessa continues.

"Now that this portion of our lives is done, we now can focus more on bringing home Vanessa. I know we never stopped looking for Vanessa."
Jodi Jacobellis, Christine's sister-in-law — April 2025
Help Find Vanessa — Report a Tip
FBI New Haven — Vanessa Morales Tip Line: (203) 503-5555
Ansonia Police Department: (203) 735-1885
FBI Wanted Page: fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/vanessa-morales
Missing Poster: Download PDF →
Reward: $10,000 offered by the FBI for information leading to Vanessa's location
Domestic Violence Resources
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 | thehotline.org
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Sources
Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice Press Releases (April and July 2025) | WFSB | Fox 61 | CNN | CBS News | Hartford Courant | Court TV | Valley Independent Sentinel | FBI New Haven
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