The jury in the Osceola County murder trial of two men accused of killing and dismembering an Osceola County woman in 2019 has begun deliberations.
Jury instructions were read by the judge Wednesday morning before lunch which ended around 12:30 pm. After closing arguments, the jury began deliberating around 4:30 pm at the Osceola County Courthouse.
Christopher Otero-Rivera and his father, Angel Rivera, are charged with second-degree murder in the death of Otero-Rivera’s estranged wife Nicole Montalvo, a 33-year-old St. Cloud mom who was slain, burned, dismembered, and later found buried on the Rivera family’s properties.
Otero-Rivera’s attorneys rested their case Tuesday after calling one witness, while Angel Rivera’s defense rested its case without presenting a single witness or an opening statement.
Before Tuesday’s proceedings, the judge dismissed a juror who looked to be falling asleep during the trial. The judge said he tried to wake the man and took frequent breaks to help, but the juror was still seen falling asleep.
