'I'm going to blow her brains out': Garbage truck driver tells nephew he has 'no other choice' but to kill 23-year-old pregnant lover — but forgot about the cab cameras

Company cameras successful the cab of a garbage motortruck captured Jose Soto-Escalera discussing his plans to execution his 23-year-old large lover, Tania Wise — aft helium seemingly forgot helium was being recorded arsenic helium told his nephew however helium intended to termination his victim. The tapes became key grounds against him astatine trial.

The execution of Tania Wise is featured successful a caller "Killer Investigations" episode, "A Mother's Murder," premiering connected Thursday, June 25 astatine 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT connected A&E.

In St. Lucie County, Florida, constabulary responded to a study of a assemblage recovered successful a roadside ditch. When they arrived, they discovered a young large pistillate with 2 heavy lacerations to her throat.

"They said that they recovered her. They said they recovered my girl successful a ditch. I thought it was a lie," Tania's mother, Elizabeth Bedolla says successful the episode.

Tania Wise was astir 9 months pregnant. Just 2 months earlier, Wise's household had thrown her a babe ablution celebrating the upcoming commencement of her 2nd son, who she was going to sanction Josiah Thomas Wise.

"She was looking guardant to having different small kid and conscionable looking guardant to being a parent to another," says Wise's son, Jamar Bedolla who was looking guardant to being a large brother.

Detectives archetypal looked astatine Wise's on-again, off-again boyfriend, who had precocious been thrown retired of the household location aft an assertive argument. Investigators brought him successful for a lengthy videotaped interrogation wherever they grilled him astir his narration with Tania, but detectives told Law&Crime they determined helium was "sincerely upset" astir her passing and not a apt suspect.

Detectives discovered that Tania had a concealed lover, Jose Soto-Escalera, a joined garbage motortruck operator who was suspected to beryllium the imaginable begetter of her unborn child. Investigators learned Soto-Escalera had fixed Wise $500 to person an termination but she did not travel done with it. DNA results confirmed Soto-Escalera was the father.

"People believed that she was going to blackmail him for much money. He didn't privation to suffer his livelihood and his wife," Detective Newman says successful the episode.

But the astir damning grounds came from institution cameras installed successful the cab of Soto-Escalera's ain garbage truck. On the footage, helium tin beryllium heard discussing his plans to termination Wise.

"I'm going to stroke her brains retired truthful she doesn't talk. I person to bash it, Erick. I person nary different choice," was work aloud to the assemblage by a constabulary lieutenant from a translated transcript. "Did you spot the blood?" Erick asks aft the murder.

"I deliberation that it shows an unthinkable grade of arrogance that these guys thought that they could bash that and get distant with it," says authoritative Donald Richardson. "As a authoritative it was, you couldn't person asked for amended evidence."

Investigators besides synced vicinity surveillance cameras with Soto-Escalera's phone, placing his motortruck adjacent Wise's location the nighttime of the murder. Blood recovered connected the floorboard of his motortruck tested arsenic a high-probability DNA lucifer to Tania Wise.

At trial, Soto-Escalera chose not to testify. His defence squad called nary witnesses. In a astonishment closing argument, the defence suggested Soto-Escalera's woman whitethorn person followed him and committed the execution herself.

The assemblage deliberated for conscionable implicit an hr earlier returning blameworthy verdicts connected some counts: first-degree execution of Tania Wise and first-degree execution of an unborn child.

The lawsuit past moved to a punishment phase. Wise's lad Jamar addressed the court.

"My parent was the closest idiosyncratic to me, and she was similar my champion friend. On that day, I mislaid much than a mother. I besides mislaid the accidental to person my parent ticker maine grow," Jamar told the court.

By a ballot of 8 to four, the minimum required nether Florida law, the assemblage recommended death. Jose Soto-Escalera was sentenced to death.

"My girl didn't merit to die. Tania did not merit to die. My grandson did not merit to die," Elizabeth Bedolla says. "I spot her dancing, laughing. Every day, each minute. That's however I privation her to beryllium remembered."

"Killer Investigations," written by Emmy Award- and Peabody Award-winning writer Brian Ross, examines large homicide cases done instrumentality enforcement interviews, forensic evidence, and proceedings testimony. Executive Producers for Law&Crime Productions are Brian Ross & Rhonda Schwartz. Executive Producers for A&E are Brad Abramson, Michael Gelman and Elaine Frontain-Bryant.