Osceola County

Mother-in-law charged in St. Cloud woman’s death; estranged husband, father-in-law to be tried in July

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — New documents show that the mother-in-law of a slain St. Cloud woman has been charged in connection with her death.

Nicole Montalvo’s mother-in-law, Wendy Rivera, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Montalvo’s body was found on her in-laws property in October.

Christopher Otero-Rivera was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Montalvo, his estranged wife.

Otero-Rivera’s father, Angel Rivera, was also charged with second-degree murder and indicted on charges of accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence.

Read: State Attorney’s Office releases new documents in slain St. Cloud mother’s murder investigation

Their trial was postponed until July during a Tuesday morning hearing. Prosecutors said they would like to try them together.

Prosecutors have been gathering evidence, including listening to calls and interviewing cell mates of her husband, who had been arrested before her death.

Court records show Otero-Rivera was previously sentenced to nearly a year in jail for attacking Montalvo.

Nearly a year later, he became a suspect in her murder.

The State Attorney’s Office released a call in May that Otero-Rivera made to his father in January of 2019, during his first time in jail.

Read: New evidence released in Nicole Montalvo case

"There is somebody who is going to help me out with what is going on, but they got to be bonded out,” Otero-Rivera said during the call.

Officials have not released the cause of Montalvo’s death.

Cierra Putman

Cierra Putman, WFTV.com

Cierra Putman flew south to join Eyewitness News in July 2016.