Estranged husband enters not guilty plea in murder of Nicole Montalvo

Remains of Montalvo found last year in Osceola County

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The estranged husband of Nicole Montalvo, a St. Cloud woman found slain last year in Osceola County, formally entered a plea Tuesday morning in court.

Christopher Otero-Rivera, indicted by a grand jury last week, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, abuse of a body and tampering with evidence.

Judge Jon B. Morgan set a tentative trial date for March 30, but said it could be moved to May if the state and defense agree to push it back.

Otero-Rivera’s father, Angel Rivera, pleaded not guilty to a charge of being an accessory after the fact. His trial was also scheduled for late March.

[RELATED: Suspect in missing St. Cloud mom’s death incriminated son in jailhouse letter | Deputies ‘won’t leave any stone unturned’ in search for missing St. Cloud woman | Sheriff pushes for murder charges to be filed in Osceola mother’s death]

Montalvo’s remains were found in October on the property of the family’s home.

In January, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis removed the case from Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala, who claimed Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson jeopardized the investigation by making premature arrests, which did not include murder charges. DeSantis decided to give the case to State Attorney Brad King.


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Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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