OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Prosecutors from the State Attorney’s office in the Nicole Montalvo case have released nearly 1,200 pages of evidence providing further insight into the family at the center of it.
Among the pages are letters that Angel Rivera, Montalvo’s father-in-law, wrote to his wife while he was in jail, saying he wanted to sell his stuff and go on a cruise with her when he gets out.
Rivera left the Osceola County Jail Monday evening after posting bond. He is still facing charges for abuse of a corpse, failure to report a death and possession of ammunition by a felon.
In his letters, Rivera told his wife, Wanda, that he had done nothing wrong, and that he was lonely in jail and missed her.
In another letter to his wife, he says he feels bad that she was arrested, and that his wife and other son, Nicholas, “didn’t do anything.” Wanda Rivera was arrested for tampering with evidence and providing false statements when she was questioned by detectives and is still facing a tampering charge.
Nicholas Rivera was considered a person of interest and arrested in Newnan, Georgia and charged with eight counts of possession of child pornography. He was transported back to Osceola County.
But Nicholas Rivera previously told investigators Angel and Wanda Rivera were with Christopher Otero-Rivera, Montalvo’s estranged husband and suspect in her death, at their Hixon Avenue home when Montalvo died, even though they told detectives something different.
According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office investigative report, Nicholas Rivera told deputies that “Nicole, Christopher and Angel” were out in the garage while he argued with his mom inside. Nicholas said in the report that “he stepped outside to the garage and saw Nicole dead on the floor with blood pooling.” His mother then told him to leave.
Rivera also wrote that Otero-Rivera may have gotten help, and questioned who would do that.
He also said that Otera-Rivera will have to “do some time.”
Nicolas Rivera and other witnesses have said they’ve seen Angel Rivera operating a rented excavator all night and washing off an orange pushcart that DNA results show tested for blood.
Montalvo’s twin bother Eddie told Channel 9 they have decided not to comment about Angel Rivera’s release or the documents, and want to first discuss more with the Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s office.
Otero-Rivera remains in jail on a probation violation. Nobody has been charged with murder.
The DNA evidence so far does not give prosecutors a specific murder weapon or an exact time of death, but it could still be gathered, investigators say.
There is no statue of limitations on when the state can file charges.
Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for updates.
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