RI - Christine Cole, 10, found murdered, Pawtucket, 6 Jan 1988 *arrest*

Well - it looks like he was sentenced - if I'm reading this correctly.

INMATE DETAILS FOR CURRENT INCARCERATION
Inmate ID Last Name First Name MI Name Type Race Sex Age Last Residence Security
107941 MONTEIRO JOAO S Real BLACK Male 47 Out-Of-State MEDIUM SECURITY

INMATE SENTENCES
Case No. Count Date Imposed Retro Date Sen. Status Term YR-MO-DAY Desc. Good Time Release Date
P1981380B 2 3/01/1999 12/29/1997 EXPIRATION SENTENCE 10-0-0 CONSPIRACY 6/18/2005
P1981380B 1 3/01/1999 12/29/1997 CONTROLLING SENTENCE 0-0-0 MURDER I

INMATE CHARGES
Commit Date Case Number Bail Type Bail Amount Disposition Description Disposition Date
12/29/1997 P1981380B HELD W/O BAIL $0 SENTENCED MURDER I 3/01/1999



link: Rhode Island Department of Corrections: Search Results
 
Well - it looks like he was sentenced - if I'm reading this correctly.

INMATE DETAILS FOR CURRENT INCARCERATION
Inmate ID Last Name First Name MI Name Type Race Sex Age Last Residence Security
107941 MONTEIRO JOAO S Real BLACK Male 47 Out-Of-State MEDIUM SECURITY

INMATE SENTENCES
Case No. Count Date Imposed Retro Date Sen. Status Term YR-MO-DAY Desc. Good Time Release Date
P1981380B 2 3/01/1999 12/29/1997 EXPIRATION SENTENCE 10-0-0 CONSPIRACY 6/18/2005
P1981380B 1 3/01/1999 12/29/1997 CONTROLLING SENTENCE 0-0-0 MURDER I

INMATE CHARGES
Commit Date Case Number Bail Type Bail Amount Disposition Description Disposition Date
12/29/1997 P1981380B HELD W/O BAIL $0 SENTENCED MURDER I 3/01/1999



link: Rhode Island Department of Corrections: Search Results
I believe this is a different guy. The man facing criminal chargers in this case (I believe) is Cape Verdean, not Black and I believe it was Joao B Monteiro not Joao S .
 
Okay - thanks for the correction - now....

can you access the Rhode Island court site? I just tried and I can't.... :(

Can you let me know when his next court date is? TIA! :)
As far as I know they are still gathering evidence to present for an indictment and then they will go to trial (if there is an indictment). The RI court site does not list any upcoming hearings :-(
 
Last July, at a hastily called press conference, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves and Detective Sue Cormier, who leads the Rhode Island Cold Case unit, announced that they’d arrested a Central Falls man for Christine’s death.

Joao Monteiro, 59, who had once lived above a market where Christine was last seen, was charged with her murder. Cormier’s arrest warrant cited the use of forensic DNA testing to connect Monteiro to blood found on Christine’s clothes.
[...]
The case never went to a grand jury to seek an indictment. And now, the case is poised to be quietly dismissed.

Monteiro’s attorney, William Devine of Providence, said Thursday he filed a motion to dismiss the case without prejudice.
[...]
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed that the motion will be heard on Tuesday, but declined comment until the court appearance.

Police claimed they solved a famous R.I. cold case. Now it’s being dropped - The Boston Globe
 
Last July, at a hastily called press conference, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves and Detective Sue Cormier, who leads the Rhode Island Cold Case unit, announced that they’d arrested a Central Falls man for Christine’s death.

Joao Monteiro, 59, who had once lived above a market where Christine was last seen, was charged with her murder. Cormier’s arrest warrant cited the use of forensic DNA testing to connect Monteiro to blood found on Christine’s clothes.
[...]
The case never went to a grand jury to seek an indictment. And now, the case is poised to be quietly dismissed.

Monteiro’s attorney, William Devine of Providence, said Thursday he filed a motion to dismiss the case without prejudice.
[...]
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed that the motion will be heard on Tuesday, but declined comment until the court appearance.

Police claimed they solved a famous R.I. cold case. Now it’s being dropped - The Boston Globe
As much as everyone wants a quick arrest, like they see on TV, slow and steady is the way to go. Cross all the Ts, dot all the I’s, make it stick, forever. What a nightmare for this family.
 
Last July, at a hastily called press conference, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves and Detective Sue Cormier, who leads the Rhode Island Cold Case unit, announced that they’d arrested a Central Falls man for Christine’s death.

Joao Monteiro, 59, who had once lived above a market where Christine was last seen, was charged with her murder. Cormier’s arrest warrant cited the use of forensic DNA testing to connect Monteiro to blood found on Christine’s clothes.
[...]
The case never went to a grand jury to seek an indictment. And now, the case is poised to be quietly dismissed.

Monteiro’s attorney, William Devine of Providence, said Thursday he filed a motion to dismiss the case without prejudice.
[...]
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed that the motion will be heard on Tuesday, but declined comment until the court appearance.

Police claimed they solved a famous R.I. cold case. Now it’s being dropped - The Boston Globe
I’m devastated by this news. I did feel it was rushed too but didn’t see what was happening with the police work that lead up to it. The awful thing is that he really may be the one that did this.
 
Here is another report about the developments in this case:

"To initiate a prosecution by way of grand jury indictment or criminal information, this Office must conclude that the target’s conduct constitutes a criminal offense and that the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction," said Kristy DosReis, spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter Neronha's office.


"The evidence in this case, including the DNA evidence, does not at the present time meet this standard. The DNA and other evidence, as it exists at the present time, does not narrow the field of those culpable for the death of Christine Cole to the degree necessary to move forward with a prosecution of the defendant," DosReis continued in an emailed statement.


AG says evidence not strong enough to convict man in 1988 murder of Christine Cole
 
Here is another report about the developments in this case:

"To initiate a prosecution by way of grand jury indictment or criminal information, this Office must conclude that the target’s conduct constitutes a criminal offense and that the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction," said Kristy DosReis, spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter Neronha's office.


"The evidence in this case, including the DNA evidence, does not at the present time meet this standard. The DNA and other evidence, as it exists at the present time, does not narrow the field of those culpable for the death of Christine Cole to the degree necessary to move forward with a prosecution of the defendant," DosReis continued in an emailed statement.


AG says evidence not strong enough to convict man in 1988 murder of Christine Cole
So, in other words, the sample isn’t complete enough to match anyone definitively. They need more evidence - to add to the sample to get an indictment. 32 years later - getting that other piece of evidence will be a challenge. Not impossible, but a challenge. I’m still holding out hope for Christine. I just keep burying my face in my hand today. To be that close to answers after all this time. Mind blowing.
 
So, in other words, the sample isn’t complete enough to match anyone definitively. They need more evidence - to add to the sample to get an indictment. 32 years later - getting that other piece of evidence will be a challenge. Not impossible, but a challenge. I’m still holding out hope for Christine. I just keep burying my face in my hand today. To be that close to answers after all this time. Mind blowing.

Interesting stuff. You likely might know more than I do because I am a long way away but you do not think it is LE trying to make light of a mistake they made they might be trying to limit their liability because they did actually wrongly accuse an innocent man through flawed science. Not saying I am right but it might be the case. Cheers.
 
Interesting stuff. You likely might know more than I do because I am a long way away but you do not think it is LE trying to make light of a mistake they made they might be trying to limit their liability because they did actually wrongly accuse an innocent man through flawed science. Not saying I am right but it might be the case. Cheers.
No, I do not. I really don’t. From the way I understand it, with the type of sample they were able to obtain from Christine - they are able to match it to that family, but not to him specifically because it could be JM’s dad, uncle, brother, etc...
But it is not definitive because they need a full sample. The fact that he lived right above the store and also has that part of the DNA is too coincidental for me. I just feel badly for the family. To be that close to justice. IMO
 
No, I do not. I really don’t. From the way I understand it, with the type of sample they were able to obtain from Christine - they are able to match it to that family, but not to him specifically because it could be JM’s dad, uncle, brother, etc...
But it is not definitive because they need a full sample. The fact that he lived right above the store and also has that part of the DNA is too coincidental for me. I just feel badly for the family. To be that close to justice. IMO

Thanks for the info. I agree the family deserve justice and the murder of a child is a terrible thing (understatement just about the worst thing). You might be right but my feeling is LE are covering their backs as such after they made a mistake and he is either guilty or not. If the case is not strong they have to be commended for saying so as it is a terrible thing to be wrongly accused of killing a child. As I say interesting and you may be right as someone killed her but my instinct is LE made a mistake in accusing the man through poor science and they are in damage limitation mode. Just my instincts but the one thing we can agree on is the murder of a child is a terrible thing and no one should get away with it.
 
Thanks for the info. I agree the family deserve justice and the murder of a child is a terrible thing (understatement just about the worst thing). You might be right but my feeling is LE are covering their backs as such after they made a mistake and he is either guilty or not. If the case is not strong they have to be commended for saying so as it is a terrible thing to be wrongly accused of killing a child. As I say interesting and you may be right as someone killed her but my instinct is LE made a mistake in accusing the man through poor science and they are in damage limitation mode. Just my instincts but the one thing we can agree on is the murder of a child is a terrible thing and no one should get away with it.
I know what you are saying. For all we know, in 1988, JM’s father may have lived there too and may be now deceased, so they went with what they had. That would be a terrible thing to do to this man if he was/is innocent.
 
I know what you are saying. For all we know, in 1988, JM’s father may have lived there too and may be now deceased, so they went with what they had.
That would be a terrible thing to do to this man if he was/is innocent.

I am not saying I am right but it is just I do not believe investigative genetic genealogy is very scientific and prone to making mistakes. Thanks for the interesting posts that I have enjoyed reading. I am will let you have the last word on this one (joke):)
 
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Here is a video report about the developments in this case:


I am of course like everyone else very shocked and concerned about the death of a child. My feeling in this case is the accused man was actually not guilty and wrongly accused by LE with flawed science and they are now in damage limitation mode trying to play down any mistakes they may have made. It is a very serious thing to be wrongly accused of any crime but extremely serious to be accused of a heinous child murder like this one. In the above video a childhood friend says she thinks the formerly accused many committed the crime but she does not know and in my opinion is thinking about the emotions of the case without thinking of any facts. LE appear to not have enough evidence to charge the man or there evidence is invalid but they still seem to be insinuating possible guilt because it suits them and I think this is wrong:

Prosecutors found that while the DNA did not exclude Monteiro as a potential culprit, it did not exclude other paternal male relatives either.

“That means absent the ability to eliminate the defendant’s father, brothers, uncles, and cousins on his father’s side of the family as suspects, we cannot definitively establish that the defendant was the source of that inculpatory DNA sample,” assistant attorney general Timothy Healy wrote.

Monterio has been released on bail.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...-not-strong-enough-to-charge-man-in-cold-case
 
Tuesday, February 4th:
*Motions Hearing (to dismiss) (@ am ET) – RI – Christine Cole (10) (missing Jan. 6, 1988, Pawtucket, found Feb. 28, 1988 @ Conimicut Point Park in Warwick) - *Joao “John” B. Monteiro (59/28 @ time of crime) arrested & charged (7/17/19) & arraigned (7/18/19) with 1st degree murder. Held without bond (7/18/19), reduced (7/19/19) to $50K Surety (@10%/ $5K) & surrender passport. Out on bail.
DNA Match (male blood in Christine’s pants traced thru JM’s son & JM’s DNA is match to male blood).
7/18/19 arrested & charged. Held without bail. 7/19/19 Review hearing. Bail to $50K Surety & surrender of passport. Next Bail review hearing on 7/22, originally set for 8/1. 7/23/19: Waiver of extradition & Notice of Property Lien filed.

7/22/19 Update: Requested an interpreter. Joao Monteiro signed a waiver of extradition & was released from court today. He’d posted bail & has been out since Friday, 7/19/19. Prosecutors felt they couldn’t press for holding him. The state has six months to bring the case to a grand jury.
7/22/19 Update: The case never went to a grand jury to seek an indictment. And now, the case is poised to be quietly dismissed. Monteiro’s attorney, William Devine of Providence, said Thursday he filed a motion to dismiss the case without prejudice. A dismissal without prejudice means that the police could someday refile charges -- and there is no statute of limitations for murder. Prosecutors found that while the DNA did not exclude Monteiro as a potential culprit, it did not exclude other paternal male relatives either. “That means absent the ability to eliminate the defendant’s father, brothers, uncles, and cousins on his father’s side of the family as suspects, we cannot definitively establish that the defendant was the source of that inculpatory DNA sample,” assistant attorney general Timothy Healy wrote. Monteiro has been released on bond. Motions hearing to dismiss charges on 2/4/20.
 

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