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

[Pettibon Junction]

Christine Cole left her house in Pawtucket on an errand to pick up milk from the corner store. She never made it home.

Her body was found on February 28, 1988 at Conimicut Point in Warwick where it had apparently washed ashore. Christine was murdered, though I can't seem to find anything further on the cause of death.

The thing that really gets me about this one, aside from it being unsolved and happening within walking distance of my best friend's house, is that Christine had just celebrated her 10th birthday two days before vanishing. Utterly heartbreaking.

Link to story below:
https://stillunsolved.wordpress.com...o-young-girls-in-rhode-island/comment-page-1/

 

[waunakeegan]

Bumping for Christine!

 

[MsGazette]

She went to my elementary school and was a year younger than me. I remember this story well. Seeing my principal on the news...it was so sad and scary. The store that she went to buy milk was right by one of my best friend’s house. I will never forget her story.

 

[Cagle]

Pawtucket police on Thursday made a massive break in a 1988 murder of a 10-year-old girl and arrested a suspect in connection to the death, according to multiple sources.

Joao Monteiro, of Pawtucket, was arrested overnight in connection to the homicide of Christine Cole. The victim was 10 years old when she went missing after her mother asked her to leave their West Avenue home in Pawtucket to get milk and clams for dinner.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned this afternoon.

Pawtucket police make arrest in 30-year-old cold case

 

[MsGazette]

Pawtucket police on Thursday made a massive break in a 1988 murder of a 10-year-old girl and arrested a suspect in connection to the death, according to multiple sources.

Joao Monteiro, of Pawtucket, was arrested overnight in connection to the homicide of Christine Cole. The victim was 10 years old when she went missing after her mother asked her to leave their West Avenue home in Pawtucket to get milk and clams for dinner.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned this afternoon.

Pawtucket police make arrest in 30-year-old cold case

Wow I’m speechless and relieved at the same time.

 

[MsGazette]

Pawtucket police charge man with murdering girl, 10, in 1988

I feel like I have seen this guy’s name before...involved in other crimes. IMO.

 

[MsGazette]

Monteiro was arraigned Thursday afternoon and ordered held without bail. A bail hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1. BBM

Update to previously posted article. Pawtucket police charge man with murdering girl, 10, in 1988

 

[TeaTime]

Ba$tArd.

 

[PastTense]

And from the above article:
"Male blood, Cormier soon learned, had been found on the inside crotch of Christine’s pants. Forensic testing had gotten what's called a partial Y-STR profile of the suspect’s DNA, based on his Y chromosome. With technological advances just in the past decade, Cormier got more testing with new technology, and got a larger DNA profile.

That was checked against a state Department of Health database. The closest match to the partial Y-STR profile was a man who wasn’t even born when Christine disappeared but had committed a crime that required him to submit a DNA sample, police said.

The suspect they were looking for, police concluded, was related to that person. That man’s father was Joao Monteiro, police say."

So if Joao had never had kids or had brought them up so they never engaged in criminal activity, he wouldn't have been caught.

 

[YESorNO]

 

[YESorNO]

What we know about the man accused of killing Christine Cole (with clip)

"...Born in June 1960, Monteiro would have been 28 years old when Cole vanished. Police say they obtained blood from the pants of the victim which they were able to trace to Monteiro’s son through DNA testing. His son’s DNA was captured in a database because he had served prison time on charges of conspiracy and possession of a “stolen motor vehicle or parts.”..."

What we know about the man accused of killing Christine Cole

 

[MsGazette]

Police arrest suspect in decades-old cold case murder after obtaining DNA sample

Having a hard time processing all of this. I know this neighborhood. All I can say is thank goodness for amazing officers of LE like Det. Susan Cormier.

 

[MsGazette]

Court Record

Register of Actions

 

[YESorNO]

R.I. AG allows bail in cold-case slaying of 10-year-old

Jul 19, 2019

"PROVIDENCE — A 59-year-old Central Falls man who was locked up Thursday and charged with murder in the death of a 10-year-old Pawtucket girl in 1988 was released on bail Friday evening, according to WPRI.

Joao “John” Monteiro, accused of killing Christine Cole, was held without bail Thursday. But on Friday, based on their “continuing review of the evidence in this case,” prosecutors withdrew their objection to bail, said a spokeswoman for the attorney general.

On Friday evening at about 8 p.m., WPRI posted a video of Monteiro leaving the Adult Correctional Institutions surrounded by a group of supporters.

Monteiro’s bail was set at $50,000 with surety and other conditions during a proceeding in District Court, Providence, said spokeswoman Kristy dosReis. To walk out of jail, Monteiro had to deposit 10% of the bail, or $5,000. Or he could have given the court a lien on property worth the full amount.

“The investigation will continue and it is the state’s intention to present this matter to a grand jury,” dosReis said...."

R.I. AG allows bail in cold-case slaying of 10-year-old

 

[PastTense]

$5,000 is all that is needed to get out on bail on a child murder charge? This is crazy!

 

[MsGazette]

$5,000 is all that is needed to get out on bail on a child murder charge? This is crazy!

It’s awful. I was so upset when I saw the court record above.

 

[PayrollNerd]

“..........DNA profiles in a state database led to Monteiro’s son, the police said, but he wasn’t alive when Christine disappeared in 1988, so the DNA pointed to Monteiro instead.”

So, how old was the son’s mother when he was born? Was she an underage victim too?

 

[PayrollNerd]

It’s awful. I was so upset when I saw the court record above.

Me too. The fact that he was surrounded by supporters ....maybe they don't understand DNA? People lie, DNA doesn't. Too bad there’s not enough funding to offer a few closely related supporters a free Ancestry kit. Clinch that case tight.

 

[MsGazette]

“..........DNA profiles in a state database led to Monteiro’s son, the police said, but he wasn’t alive when Christine disappeared in 1988, so the DNA pointed to Monteiro instead.”

So, how old was the son’s mother when he was born? Was she an underage victim too?

If the son’s mother is JM’s ex-wife, then she is only 3 years younger. So that’s something. At least she wasn’t an underage victim. It does look, based on his many court records, that she was a victim of domestic violence at his hands. IMO

 

[MsGazette]

Me too. The fact that he was surrounded by supporters ....maybe they don't understand DNA? People lie, DNA doesn't. Too bad there’s not enough funding to offer a few closely related supporters a free Ancestry kit. Clinch that case tight.

I think there is that language barrier (in terms of understanding the facts of the case) and that sense of Family loyalty that come into play. I don’t care how many supporters he has. The law is the law. Facts are facts. I’m just disgusted that he’s enjoying his Saturday afternoon. I’m sure Christine would love to be spending time at the ocean with her family or even a simple thing like an afternoon at the movies or the mall to keep cool. She gets nothing.