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

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The State Attorney’s Office has released new documents in the Nicole Montalvo murder investigation Wednesday.

Montalvo’s remains were found on her father-in-law’s property in late October.

Investigators have released nearly 50 pictures of what they found in the garage on the Hixon Avenue property.

Read: Man accused of murdering daughter-in-law facing new charges, jail documents say

There are photos of guns, saws, knives and axes. Deputies have yet to identify if any of those were used as a murder weapon.

Deputies also found a yellow excavator.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said it spotted it from its helicopter during surveillance of the Rivera property.

When Christopher Otero-Rivera’s brother, Nicholas Rivera, interviewed with detectives he told them he saw his father, Angel Rivera, driving the excavator around but couldn’t see what was inside.

Read: Deputies: Human remains identified as missing St. Cloud woman

Montalvo’s son also talked about the excavator during his interview with detectives.

Nicholas Rivera and other witnesses later said they saw Angel Rivera operating the excavator all night and later washing off an orange pushcart.

The State Attorney’s Office also released some of the first interviews deputies conducted during the investigation.

Otero-Rivera was questioned when Montalvo was reported missing.

“We just want her back home safe and sound. My son has been asking for her,” Otero-Rivera told detectives.

Detectives also interviewed Wanda Rivera, Angel Rivera’s wife, after her son and husband were taken into custody.

Nicholas Rivera was interviewed after he was arrested in Georgia. “I would never expect something like that to happen," he said.

In letters Angel Rivera wrote to his wife from jail and also during phone calls with his sister-in-law, he said his son Otero-Rivera would definitely be going to prison.

Almost all of the calls are between Angel Rivera and his sister-in-law because he cannot speak to his wife.

“Way things are looking is that you and Chris aren’t gonna be out of there for quite a while,” said Angel Rivera’s sister-in-law.

Through it all, Angel Rivera accuses his son, Otero-Rivera.

The State Attorney’s Office also released text messages that show Montalvo telling a friend that she felt Angel Rivera and Otero-River were a threat.



Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.