TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Christopher Clements has been sentenced to natural life in prison for the kidnapping and killing of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez in June 2014.
A sentence of natural life means that Clements will remain in prison until he dies.
In late September, a jury found Clements guilty in the 2014 killing.
The sentence breaks down to:
- Natural life for felony murder
- 17 years for kidnapping
Clements is already serving a sentence for an unrelated burglary conviction, sentenced by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge in June.
His lawyers for the Gonzalez case asked for a re-trial following that verdict — a routine maneuver for defense attorneys when they feel there may have been mistakes or questionable rulings.
Judge James Marner, however, ruled the case was strong enough to uphold Clements' conviction in that trial and that sentencing could process as scheduled on Monday, Nov. 14.
Clements' conviction in the Gonzales murder was based on largely circumstantial evidence: There were no witnesses who had seen Clements put Gonzalez in his car, and the DNA evidence did not deliver a perfect match.
Nevertheless, cell phone tracking and other evidence against him, including 1,300 photos of young girls on his iPad and testimony from his ex-girlfriend, proved a strong enough case for a jury conviction.
Clements will face another jury in 2023 for the disappearance and death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis, who went missing from her Tucson home in April 2012.
That trial is scheduled for February.
