TEXAS CITY, Texas – Georgia Mitchell feels Christopher Maldonado’s punishment isn’t strong enough after he put Angela Mitchell’s dead body in the trunk of her own car in May 2022. This week, a jury found him guilty of tampering with a corpse. According to The Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, the jury returned a verdict of five years in prison but ordered the sentence probated, as well as a $10,000.00 fine. Judge Jeth Jones set Maldonado’s probation term for ten years and ordered Maldonado to serve 120 days in jail as a condition of probation.
“I can’t even stress that enough. How? I don’t think justice was served. The outcome, I feel like, was a slap on the wrist,” said Georgia Mitchell.
Mitchell said she will never forget reporting her daughter missing.
“My youngest grandchild was seven months old at the time and he was at his grandmother’s, and she didn’t come to pick him up,” said Mitchell.
Investigators learned Angela was at Christopher Maldonado’s home before she disappeared. Police said Angela was a sex worker whose last known job was at Maldonado’s house. That’s where Angela’s family pinged her phone, while using the Find My Friends app. Prosecutors said a man testified that Maldonado paid him $200 to move Angela’s car with the help of two teenagers.
“From my understanding, from the testimonies in the trial, it was just supposed to be stealing the car and getting it scrapped. Nobody was aware that there was a dead body in the trunk,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell checked her daughter’s tracking device on her car and found it in a Texas City neighborhood. She said police showed up, but they could not search the car at the time.
“By the sixth day they told me they could smell the odor of death and flies were around the trunk of her car. That finally gave them probable cause to be able to open the car and see what was going on,” said Mitchell.
Inside the trunk, the mother of four’s body was found so badly decomposed, her cause of death could not be determined. Police said overdose and natural causes were ruled out. Mitchell said her daughter’s death has never been ruled a murder or a homicide.
“Undetermined. My daughter’s death certificate says undetermined for her cause of death,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell said she believes someone knows how her daughter died, but she fears she may never know.
“I’ve got a daughter, and I don’t know how she died. I don’t know what took her life. I don’t know who took her life. I will never know. And when my grandchildren come to me and ask Mimi what happened to my mom, I can’t give them an honest answer other than she is with God.” Said Mitchell.
Prosecutors said Maldonado’s ex-wife testified during the trial saying he was controlling and strangled her in the past. Records show he has an open case regarding the alleged strangling incident.
The Galveston County District Attorney’s office said there is still an open investigation regarding Angela Mitchell’s death. Those with any information are asked to contact the Texas City Police Department at 409-948-2525.