Marisela Botello murder trial: Lisa Dykes guilty of murder, sentenced to life in prison

DALLAS - After seven days of testimony, a Dallas jury found Lisa Dykes guilty of murdering 23-year-old Marisela Botello and tampering with evidence.

The jury came to a decision after 90 minutes of deliberations.

Dykes showed no emotion as Judge Nancy Mulder read the verdict out loud.

The 23-year-old Botello was visiting Dallas from Seattle in October 2020 when she disappeared after a night out in Deep Ellum.

Prosecutors said Dykes killed Botello in a "jealous rage" after seeing her in bed with her rapper boyfriend, Charles Beltran, and then disposed of Botello's body with the help of her wife, Nina Marano. Dykes was in a three-way relationship with Beltran and Marano.

The lead prosecutor in the case tells FOX 4 this is the quickest verdict she's gotten in any of her felony cases.

The verdict came so quickly, it took some time for the court to locate the attorneys and family members.

Botello's brother gave a victim-impact statement on behalf of the family during the sentencing phase.

"I had my friends, but every day I had that person who I could just talk to, have those conversations you typically don't have with your parents," Luis Botello-Valadez told the jury. "I see my mom every day doing her best as being the loving mother that she's always been. She's always taking care of us despite us losing our sister, their first-born child."

"They find a way to keep pushing forward, continue on with their lives despite this tragedy happen to us," Botello-Valadez said of his parents.

A male juror had tears in his eyes while listening to Luis talk about his big sister.

"I hope that you get what you deserve in that prison cell," Botello-Valadez added.

Dykes’ defense attorney, Heath Harris, asked jurors for a lighter sentence, based on Beltran’s testimony, saying, it was a "crime of passion," a term recognized by Texas law that can reduce a murder sentence.

"For some reason, she lost it that night. That’s sudden passion. That’s what you heard from the witness stand," Harris said.

Prosecutors disagreed and pushed for life in prison. 

"There’s no need for rehabilitation for Mrs. Dykes. It’s just not necessary. She had all the tools to do the right things in life and to lead a good life without murdering an innocent 23-year-old," lead prosecutor Robin Pittman.

The jury sentenced Dykes to life in prison and a $10,000 fine for the murder charge and 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the tampering charge.

"Ms. Dykes, I hope you find that you've been treated with a much greater amount of dignity and respect than you ever treated Marisela Botello-Valadez. May God have mercy on your soul," said Judge Mulder before Dykes was taken away.

Harris said he has submitted a notice of appeal, however, he said the judge gave a fair trial.

Closing Arguments

"Marisela [Botello] deserved better than to be a photograph in a Dallas County courtroom," prosecutors said.

The defense team took issue with the investigation into the murder.

Defense attorney Heath Harris argued that the physical evidence does not fit the prosecution's story of events.

"Men lie, women lie, physical evidence does not lie," said Harris in his closing statement.

Beltran claimed that he was in a three-way relationship with Dykes and her wife Nina Marano.

Dykes claimed on the stand that she did not have a relationship with Beltran.

In closing arguments, prosecutors read messages shared between Beltran and Dykes.

Prosecutors tried to paint Dykes as a gold digger, who used Marano for money and changed her appearance to appeal to Beltran.

Lisa Dykes Takes The Stand

On Wednesday morning, Dykes took the stand for a second consecutive day.

Dykes first took the stand in her own defense on Tuesday afternoon, denying claims that she stabbed Botello.

Testimony from Beltran and others claimed that Dykes was Beltran's "sugar mama."

But Dykes said the relationship was not sexual and that she was just investing in his rap career.

"He was a wolf in sheep's clothing," Dykes said on Tuesday.

Dykes denied having any kind of interaction with Botello.

Last week, Beltran told the jury he was asleep with Botello in the Mesquite home he shared with Dykes, when Dykes stabbed Botello.

The 23-year-old's body was not found for months.

Prosecutors said GPS phone tracking places Dykes and Marano in the area of Wilmer, where Botello's body was found.

Dykes claimed that she and Marano were at a FedEx Distribution Center in nearby Hutchins.

After being arrested, Marano and Dykes disabled their ankle monitors and escaped to Cambodia.

On the stand, Dykes said the couple felt persecuted.

"Cambodia was a good place for us to find a new life, for us to live," she said.

READ MORE: 

• Marisela Botello murder trial: Suspect Lisa Dykes denies stabbing Seattle woman
• Marisela Botello murder trial: Lisa Dykes, Nina Marano's escape to Cambodia the focus of testimony
• Marisela Botello murder trial: Suspect Lisa Dykes' boyfriend describes stabbing
• Marisela Botello murder trial: Suspect, girlfriend knelt in front of Grim Reaper statue in home, witness says
• Marisela Botello murder trial: Suspect changed for rapper boyfriend, 'dabbled' in witchcraft, witness says
• Marisela Botello murder trial: Jealousy over man led to deadly stabbing, prosecutors claim
• Marisela Botello murder: Trial set to begin in case of Seattle woman killed after night in Deep Ellum
• Marisela Botello case: Couple charged with murder caught in Cambodia after fleeing
• Marisela Botello case: Couple charged with murder flee while out on bond
• Third suspect arrested in Seattle woman's disappearance and death
• Murder case prompts FBI to conduct more searches in southern Dallas County
• Body of missing Seattle woman found in North Texas
• Person of interest sought in Seattle woman's disappearance after night out in Deep Ellum

Beltran and Marano had their murder charges dropped in the case.

They are still charged with tampering with evidence.