Texas Man Walks Free After Hiding Body in Car Trunk

(Dickinson, Texas) - (KNUE) - In Texas in most cases, if you commit a crime, you’re going to be held responsible for your actions.  

Although there is one case recently that is getting a lot or reaction from people in the Lone Star State as a Texas City man was only sentenced to probation after he was found guilty of hiding a body of a missing mother in the trunk of her car in 2022.  

According to KHOU, 49-year-old Christopher Maldonado was convicted of tampering with a corpse. 

Details About the Case in 2022 

24-year-old Angela Mitchell was reported missing to the Dickinson Police on May 5th, 2022. Her friends got worried about her after she missed a time to pick up her son which is not like her. 

Her cousin was able to use an app (Find My Friends) and her iPhone was tracked to a location near Maldonado's house. 

It took Texas City police six days to find her vehicle and her decomposing body was identified in the truck. 

The medical examiner could not determine her cause of death but ruled out natural causes and drug overdose. Detectives determined that Mitchell was a sex worker, and her last known client was Maldonado. 

Shocking Testimony During the Trial 

While the trial was taking place a friend testified that they were paid $200 to move Mitchell’s car the night she went missing. 

Maldonado’s ex-wife also took the stand to testify that she had been strangled by him in the past, he also has a pending felony charge for strangulation assault. 

In the end, Maldonado was ordered to serve 120 days in jail and 10 years of probation. 

Which seems like a light punishment when you think about all the violence that took place as Mitchell lost her life.