Murder suspect Jose Morales, father of Vanessa Morales, gets new lawyer
MILFORD — Jose Morales says he’s getting a new lawyer.
The New Haven man accused of murder in the December 2019 death of Christine Holloway in Ansonia, whose daughter with Holloway has been missing for nearly two years, appeared in Superior Court Friday.
He is currently represented by the firm of Pattis and Smith. But Morales told Judge Peter Brown on Friday he has new representation.
“I do have another attorney already retained, your honor,” Morales said.
“And who is that?” the judge asked.
“Tara Knight,” Morales said. “She wasn’t able to be here today because I gave her notice yesterday.”
A message was left at Knight’s office Friday.
The judge continued the case to Nov. 15 to see if Knight files paperwork to represent Morales.
Holloway was found beaten to death in her Ansonia home in December 2019. Vanessa Morales, Holloway’s 1-year-old daughter, was nowhere to be found.
Vanessa would have turned three in September.
Morales, 44, has been charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with Holloway’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to both offenses and has not been charged directly with Vanessa’s disappearance.
He also faces two unrelated felony charges of criminal possession of a firearm, to which he has also pleaded not guilty.
At a court appearance for Morales in May a prosecutor said investigators had received many leads in the disappearance of Morales’ and Holloway’s daugher, Vanessa, but none had panned out.
Morales was identified early on as a suspect in Holloway’s death, which was determined to be from blunt-force trauma.
During an interview with investigators, Morales claimed he was in the Myrtle Avenue home when he saw men running toward the front door, police said. Morales said he was on PCP and was punched in the face and knocked out as he tried to call 911, police said.
While Holloway’s body was found in her Ansonia residence more than a year ago, the couple’s young child, Vanessa Morales, has never been found.
Morales has not been charged with the child’s disappearance. His arrest affidavit indicates Morales told police he had nothing to do with Holloway’s death or his daughter’s disappearance.
Police in Ansonia say they believe the child will be found and continue to search for her, chasing
down leads as far away as California.
In January, police released an age-enhanced photo of the girl, who was 15 months old at the time she vanished. A $10,000 reward remains from the FBI to anyone who can lead investigators to Vanessa or who turns her over to police.
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