(Milford, CT) - Margaret E. Kelley, Ansonia/Milford Judicial District State’s Attorney, announced that the Honorable Shari A. Murphy today sentenced Jose Morales, age 48, of New Haven, to 60 years in prison for the December 2019 murder of Christine Holloway in Ansonia, and five consecutive years in prison for tampering with evidence in the case.
On April 22, 2025, a Superior Court jury in Milford found Morales guilty of Murder, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a, and Tampering with Evidence, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-155.
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.
State’s Attorney Kelley wishes to extend her gratitude to the Ansonia Police Department and state and federal law enforcement authorities for their dedicated and detailed investigation of this case, as well as to the members of the Ansonia/Milford State’s Attorney’s Office for their extraordinary efforts in preparing and presenting this case for trial. In addition, Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Howard S. Stein publicly expressed his gratitude to the multiple law enforcement agencies who worked tirelessly on this case, the jurors for “committing themselves to this important civic function” and members of the Ansonia-Milford State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
“It is the hope of the Ansonia/Milford State’s Attorney’s Office that the family and friends of Christine Holloway receive some measure of justice with this disposition today,” State’s Attorney Kelley said. “The investigation into the disappearance of Vanessa Morales is ongoing.”
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.