The untimely demise of Esmeralda Gonzalez, a prominent Instagram influencer based in Las Vegas, shook the online community to its core. With a seemingly idyllic life showcased on her social media platforms, boasting over 300k followers, Gonzalez projected an image of success and glamour. As a professional model with a degree in Communication, she effortlessly flaunted luxury possessions and cherished her beloved pet dog, Bonita.
However, her story took a harrowing turn when she met a tragic end—murdered, her body encased in concrete, and discarded in the unforgiving expanse of the Las Vegas desert. The abrupt and brutal nature of her demise left many wondering: who could perpetrate such a heinous act against someone so seemingly vibrant and full of life?
Investigations into Gonzalez's demise unearthed layers of complexity and darkness, shedding light on the grim realities beneath her curated online persona. Yet, amidst the shadows, the search for justice pressed on, driven by a determination to unveil the truth behind her untimely demise and bring those responsible to account for their actions.
On May 12, 2019, Esmeralda's final Instagram post captured a serene moment as she sat outdoors, tenderly cleaning a dog's face on a carpet.
”Because dogs make the world a better place,” she said in the post. What you can’t tell from the photo is that she was struggling with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for which she required medication to maintain “her perception of reality”. In just a matter of days, her vibrant presence would be tragically extinguished forever.
Hailing from the bustling city of Las Vegas, Esmeralda was a true native, raised in the renowned Westside neighborhood. During her formative years, she found joy in playing chess and participating in beauty pageants, showcasing both her strategic prowess and her natural charm. According to her ex-boyfriend Matthew Mosey, she was... “a very driven young woman with her whole life ahead of her.”
By the 31st, her brother Juan Gonzalez Madera, growing concerned after not hearing from Esmeralda for several days, decided to pay her a visit. Upon arrival, he discovered her car parked in the driveway, the door left unlocked, and her wallet and purse left behind inside the house. Fearing that Esmeralda may have missed her medication, Juan promptly contacted the authorities.
As Las Vegas Police delved into the investigation, they uncovered further details. Esmeralda's boyfriend had reached out to her family upon noticing her erratic behavior, expressing deep concern. In an effort to ensure her safety, he had taken possession of her cell phone and keys. The chaotic state of the house only heightened suspicions of a potential mental health crisis unfolding.
At this juncture, law enforcement initially treated Esmeralda's situation as a missing person case, requesting access to any surveillance footage available from the security cameras within the residence.
While canvassing, police collected security footage from neighbors. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney, Pam Weckerly, said the footage police found was “concerning,” and that Esmeralda was walking around the neighborhood in “lingerie and high heels… and wasn’t walking steadily.”
Police also learned that she had fought with her boyfriend (hence him stealing her keys), but when they watched footage from the home they saw that she was alone. They then started investigating her Instagram page for anything suspicious.
Further investigation revealed that Esmeralda had made an unusual appearance at a BMW dealership, clad in lingerie, in an attempt to obtain a key for her car. Surveillance footage depicted her demeanor as confused and disoriented. However, given the context of Las Vegas, dealership staff simply dismissed her attire as that of a stripper and paid little attention. While Esmeralda remained classified as a missing person at this stage, the police began to construct a timeline of events surrounding her disappearance.
After the person who drove her to the dealership was cleared and questioned, they learned she knocked on a neighbor’s door. Then she was just gone. It wasn’t until police got an anonymous tip on July 18 that they got a break in the case. The tip said a man named Christopher Prestipino killed Esmeralda, along with his roommate Cassandra Garrett. The tip went on to say that “they had injected her with a pool cleaner before taking her out to the desert in a U-Haul truck and dumping her.”
Police looked into Prestipino and found out he had drug charges, and that he lived “essentially on the same street” as Esmeralda. Someone else called the police and told them to speak with a woman named Tricia Ott. When they visited her she told them Prestipino came to her for help. Ott told police she went to his house and saw a U-Haul and a huge wooden box. She said Cassandra was there and she was “whacked out of her mind.”
Ott said that Prestipino was acting incredibly paranoid, and that he told her that there was a woman at the house who “freaked out” and that he tied her up and thought maybe he killed her. Police then went to the local Home Depot and saw footage of Prestipino buying a lot of wood, along with lime, building materials, concrete, and screws. They then checked his cell phone records and found out he had been in the desert for a long time on the 8th of June.
Police then questioned Prestipino’s girlfriend Lisa Mort, who was in jail on something unrelated. She denied any knowledge of anything. She was lying, and would eventually be charged as an accessory. Then they questioned Cassandra and all she said was “I wasn’t in the garage.” Finally, they confronted Prestipino with a search warrant. He told police he had no idea what they were talking about and that he’d “never seen her before.” Below is a picture of Prespitino and Lisa Mort.
Christopher Prestipino and Lisa Mort Photo via Facebook
Investigators eventually convinced Cassandra to take them to the body if they let her get her things in order before she went to jail. Eventually, they found a corpse in a large wooden crate that was covered in concrete. Though the body was unrecognizable they identified Esmeralda through her watch and DNA.
Cassandra Garrett photo via Facebook.
Cassandra then gave a full statement about what happened. She said she found Gonzalez walking around the neighborhood and brought her to Prespitino’s house. Some news reports say that Prestipino propositioned Esmeralda for sex without knowing she was in a fragile mental state. He gave her meth, police said, and Esmeralda started speaking in the “devil’s tongue.”
Panicking, Prestipino tied her to a chair. She started yelling about cops and tried to punch him, so he strangled her and then Cassandra injected her with pool cleaner. Then they started the long process of disposing of the body.
Mort eventually confessed to being an accessory to the crime and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to two to five years in prison. Cassandra accepted a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter and received a 20-year prison term, with the possibility of parole after eight years. Prespitino was convicted of second-degree murder and kidnapping, receiving a sentence of 10 to 25 years for murder and 15 years for kidnapping, to be served concurrently.
