(Milford, CT) - Margaret E. Kelley, Ansonia/Milford Judicial District State’s Attorney, announced that a jury today found Jose Morales, age 48, of New Haven, guilty of Murder, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a, and Tampering With Evidence, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-155.
The trial in the Superior Court of Milford was presided over by the Honorable Shari A. Murphy.
Evidence at trial showed that the defendant struck Christine Holloway, age 43, in the head not less than eight times with an instrument that caused severe fractures of her skull and other blunt force trauma that resulted in her death. The attack occurred in the early morning hours of December 1, 2019 in the Ansonia home of Ms. Holloway. The evidence presented during trial also focused on the extensive clean-up and destruction of physical evidence that the accused engaged in over a 37-hour period of time until he finally fled the scene, leaving the body of Ms. Holloway naked in a bathtub.
Morales presented alternate defenses of third-party culpability and intoxication which were summarily disregarded by the jury which delivered a verdict in less than four hours of deliberations following a two-week trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025 in Milford Superior Court.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Howard S. Stein and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Marc R. Durso, with the assistance of Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Kalthoff, Inspector Warren “Butch” Hyatt, Inspector Robert Winkler and Paralegal Specialist Chelsea Meehan.