Estranged husband enters not guilty plea in murder of Nicole Montalvo

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.

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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.