Jose Soto-Escalera, a 48-year-old married man from Florida, is set to stand trial for the murder of his pregnant mistress, Tania Wise, seven years after her body was discovered on a rural road on August 24, 2018. Soto-Escalera is facing charges of first and second-degree murder.
The investigation into Wise’s death revealed a series of communications between Soto-Escalera and Wise in the months leading up to her death. According to police reports, Wise had informed Soto-Escalera of her pregnancy and demanded money for an abortion, threatening to reveal their affair to his wife if he did not comply.
A witness who was present during a phone call between Wise and Soto-Escalera confirmed to detectives that Wise had indeed demanded money for an abortion. After the call, Wise reportedly told the witness that she could manipulate Soto-Escalera by threatening to expose their affair to his wife. It was later revealed that Soto-Escalera’s wife was unaware of his extramarital relationship with Wise.
On the day of their phone conversation, Soto-Escalera allegedly met with Wise and gave her $500 for the abortion. However, a witness told police that Wise did not use the money for an abortion but gave it to someone else.
Three days before Wise’s body was found, a witness reported that Soto-Escalera was angry because Wise had not used the money for an abortion. He also allegedly inquired about obtaining an untraceable firearm.
Following the discovery of Wise’s body, Soto-Escalera was interviewed by police. He denied having a sexual relationship with Wise but admitted that she had performed a striptease for him. He consented to a DNA test and allowed his cellphone to be searched.
The DNA test confirmed that Soto-Escalera was the father of Wise’s unborn child, whom her family had named Josiah. Cellphone data revealed that Soto-Escalera and Wise had multiple phone conversations on the night before her body was discovered. His cellphone was also traced to the location where Wise’s body was found the next day.
Further investigation into Soto-Escalera’s cellphone records revealed suspicious Google searches conducted hours before Wise’s body was discovered. These included searches for “dead body in woods” and “wooded area dead body.” He also clicked on four related links from these searches.
Local news outlet WTVX reported that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Soto-Escalera. Jury selection for his trial began on Wednesday.