This week marked five years since the murder of an Ansonia mother and the disappearance of her baby.
Back on Dec. 2, 2019, Christine Holloway was found dead in her Ansonia home, and her baby Vanessa Morales was nowhere to be found.
Jose Morales, Vanessa’s father, has been charged with the murder of Holloway, however a trial date has not been set.
Jodi Jacobellis, Holloway’s sister-in-law and Vanessa’s aunt, said the pain of losing them has not gone away.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
“It's an emotional rollercoaster, it's a nightmare that we live with everyday,” Jacobellis said.
She expressed frustration over the delay of Morales’ jury trial, as he’s been listed on the state’s judicial branch court docket a total of 36 times.
“It’s absolutely aggravating every time we have a continuance for reasons we don’t know,” Jacobellis said.
Local
Lt. Patrick Lynch, public information officer with the Ansonia Police Department, said he believes the trial will start in 2025.
“We’re working with the prosecutor's office to prepare for that to get a successful conclusion to Jose Morales’ case,” Lynch said.
Lynch added once Morales’ case is closed, the department will refocus their efforts to continue to look for baby Vanessa, although he admitted the progress has been limited.
“The tips that we’ve gotten recently are not local, they’re more across the country, most of them have been out-of-state, we’ve worked with departments out of state, asking them to do some follow up, they’ve been very cooperative with that but unfortunately we’ve gotten nothing," Lynch said.
Lynch emphasized the department will not let baby Vanessa's case go unsolved.
“This is not a case that we’re going to put in a box on a shelf somewhere. This will remain active, until we get that answer,” Lynch said.
Jacobellis also made another plea to anyone who may have information on Vanessa's disappearance:
“If anybody has any information on her whereabouts, or knows any little thing, just come forward, it's been five years. We’ve missed every single milestone of her growing up, she needs to be with her family," Jacobellis said.
The Ansonia Police Department continues to search for any information. Information can be reported to the police department at 203-735-1885. Anonymous tips can be left by clicking here.
