The tragic case of Micaela Costanzo
It was a windy Thursday afternoon.
Micaela intended to walk home from school. Her sister wasn’t around to pick her up. But Micaela got into an altercation with her friend.
She insisted that her friend should break up with his fiance. But he refused. So he pushed Micaela and;
“She fell down and hit her head. She just laid there and was looking at the sky. And her eyes started to turn black.” — Micaela’s friend stated.
Micaela Was a Sixteen-Year-Old Teenager
Micaela Rae “Mickie” Costanzo was a sixteen-year-old. Her life was in West Wendover, Nevada.
She was a talented basketball player. She was a beautiful and bright young girl. Also, she was mature beyond her age. And she liked to write poetry and short stories.
Micaela had a different approach to life. She was always positive. She found the good in everything and everyone. She was mostly happy.
Micaela had two sisters, Kristina and Delicia, and three half-sisters. And she loved her sisters.
Micaela was especially inseparable from Delicia. The two did everything together. They often found themselves in the same place. They did similar things. And they considered themselves twins.
Micaela was also close with her mother, Celia.
She made sure to keep in contact with her mother. And she updated her on almost all her movements.
Micaela Went to School As Usual
Micaela left for school on March 3rd, 2011.
She attended her classes. And she was supposed to go for track practice afterward. But Micaela didn’t do her usual check-in call with her mother. So, Celia called Micaela. But she didn’t pick up.
Celia called Micaela’s sister to ask her if she had heard from her. Kristina told her no. But she told Celia not to worry because she was probably just missing Micaela. So Celia relaxed a little.
She believed that Micaela was behaving like a normal teenager.
Celia Rushed Back Home
Celia left work early and she headed home.
She hoped to see Micaela back home by the time she got there. But Micaela was nowhere to be found. Then the police received a call about Micaela’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, Celia and Delicia started the search for Micaela. They called all her friends.
Word about Micaela’s disappearance spread fast across West Wendover. People started looking for Micaela everywhere. The police also jumped on Micaela’s case right away. They talked to Micaela’s boyfriend and friends.
Then they looked into Micaela’s recent phone records. And one particular number kept popping up just before Micaela disappeared.
There were a lot of texts and phone calls between Micaela and that number. These stopped abruptly around the time that she had left school.
The calls and texts were made to “Kody Patten.” Kody was Micaela’s childhood friend. The two grew up together. But they never dated.
In fact, Kody was already engaged to his girlfriend, Toni Fratto. And he had moved in with his fiance’s parents.
The Police Found Micaela’s Body
The police soon discovered Micaela’s body in an area called gravel pits. She was buried in a shallow grave.
She had been beaten, cut, and stabbed repeatedly.
There was also a zip tie around her wrist. That proved she was restrained and taken from school against her will. And she was murdered.
Micaela’s family was informed about the devastating news. And they were shattered.
The police then went to Micaela’s school. They obtained the surveillance video. The video showed Micaela leaving school on the day that she vanished. But she wasn’t alone.
Kody was right behind her.
The police brought in Kody for questioning. He was probably the last person to see Micaela at school.
Kody told the police that he only called and texted Micaela asking for help to move some car parts. And he had last seen Micaela with her boyfriend. But the police didn’t buy his story.
Then Kody asked to speak to his father in private. Kody finally cracked after that private talk. He told the police what had really happened.
What Happened To Micaela
Kody told the police that he had picked up Micaela at school.
Micaela then insisted that Kody should break up with Toni during the ride. But Kody refused. Kody then stopped the car, and the two got out. Micaela then hit Kody. And Kody pushed Micaela.
She fell and hit her head on the ground. Then she laid there looking at the sky. Her eyes started to turn black. Kody checked her pulse and got nothing.
He then grabbed his shovel from the car. He cut Micaela’s throat first before burying her. Kody also stated that he was alone with Micaela.
The police arrested Kody and charged him with murder.
Micaela’s Family Believed Kody Was Hiding Something
Micaela’s family couldn’t believe that Kody had killed Micaela.
They strongly believed that someone else did it. Or someone made him do it. And they were right. Kody’s girlfriend soon turned herself in.
Toni confessed to the police that she was with Kody on the day that Micaela was killed. Toni told the police that she also participated in cutting Micaela’s throat.
So Toni was arrested. Toni’s personal diary was then found. She poured her fears, hopes, and deep insecurities into it.
She stated;
“He is embarrassed by me.
He really doesn’t love me.
Kody will leave me for someone else, cheat on me.
Kody and I won’t last forever, we won’t get married.
After I got off the phone with Kody I wanted to take four aspirins.
If I didn’t steal him away, I know in my heart he really doesn’t love me.”
These entries indicated a possible murder motive.
Toni was jealous of Micaela. She was probably terrified of losing Kody to the girl he had grown up with. So she chose murder.
Kody and Toni’s Stories Contradicted
Kody and Toni told different stories when they were tried separately in court.
Kody stuck to his story that he was alone when he killed Micaela. On the other hand, Toni insisted that she was with Kody. Then Kody was offered a legal deal.
If he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, he would get life in prison with the possibility of parole and no death penalty. In exchange, he’d have to testify against Toni.
Kody initially took the deal, and then he changed his mind. Toni changed her initial testimony. Toni later claimed that she was an unwilling participant. She didn’t deny being with Kody when Micaela was killed. But this time, she shifted all the blame to Kody.
She said that she backed off when Kody cut Micaela’s throat.
All she could hear was Micaela asking;
“Am I still here? Am I still alive?”
Then Toni sat in the car as Kody finished off Micaela and buried her.
She didn’t know why Kody murdered Micaela. And she feared he’d kill her too if she didn’t cooperate. Neither Kody nor Toni told the truth about why and how they killed Micaela.
Kody claimed that he killed Micaela by accident. But the severe and brutal wounds on Micaela’s body told a different story.
Kody and Toni told two different stories in court. And no one knows the true version up to this day.
The Aftermath
Toni took a plea deal, and she testified against Kody.
In exchange, she was only charged with second-degree murder with a chance of parole after eighteen years.
She was sentenced to a minimum of ten years for second-degree murder. And an additional eight to ten years for using a deadly weapon in the crime.
Kody pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. West Wendover High School retired Micaela’s basketball jersey and hung it in a place of honor.
And the students got together to paint and sign on a huge rock in Micaela’s favorite color in her memory.
Micaela was laid to rest in a small family cemetery.
Micaela’s mother stated;
“There’s a part of me that’s just been ripped away and I’m not whole.
There’s not a day, not a moment, not a second that I don’t think about her.”
Sources:Murderpedia, Findagrave, NewsBall TV