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The tragic death of a Las Vegas Instagram influencer who was injected with pool cleaner and dumped in the desert

If you only looked at her online life, Esmeralda Gonzalez had it all together. Her Instagram page had more than 300k followers. She was a professional model with a BA in Communication and a penchant for posing in revealing outfits (and sometimes no outfits at all). She liked expensive handbags, jewelry, and watches and she loved her dog Bonita.

Unfortunately, her life ended in a truly tragic way: she was murdered, covered in concrete and left in the Las Vegas desert to rot. So, how could such a terrible thing happen?

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A post shared by Esmeralda Merlot (@esmeralda_merlot)

On May 12, 2019, Esmeralda posted to her Instagram page for the last time. She was sitting outside on a carpet cleaning a dog’s face.”Because dogs make the world a better place,” she said in the post. What you can’t tell from the photo is that she was struggling with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for which she required medication to maintain “her perception of reality”. In just a few days she would be dead.

Esmeralda was a Las Vegas native; she grew up in the well-known Westside neighborhood. Growing up she played chess and did beauty pageants. Her ex-boyfriend Matthew Mosey said she was “a very driven young woman with her whole life ahead of her.”

By the 31st her brother Juan Gonzalez Madera, who hadn’t heard from her in a few days, went to check on her. When he arrived he found her car in the driveway and the door unlocked. To add to the confusion, her wallet and purse were inside the house. Suspecting Esmeralda was off her meds, her brother promptly called the cops.

Las Vegas Police, while investigating, learned that Esmeralda’s boyfriend had called her brother and family because he thought she was acting weird. He was so worried that he took her cell phone and her keys. Inside the house everything was in disarray, indicating to them that she was undergoing a mental health crisis.

At this point, police thought she was simply missing, and asked for footage from the security cameras in the house.

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A post shared by Esmeralda Merlot (@esmeralda_merlot)

While canvassing, police collected security footage from neighbors. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney, Pam Weckerly, said the footage police found was “concerning,” and that Esmeralda was walking around the neighborhood in “lingerie and high heels… and wasn’t walking steadily.”

Police also learned that she had fought with her boyfriend (hence him stealing her keys), but when they watched footage from the home they saw that she was alone. They then started investigating her Instagram page for anything suspicious.

After more investigating, police learned that Esmeralda showed up at a BMW dealership in lingerie to try and get a key for her car. In the video, she seemed confused and lost. Because it was Vegas, employees at the car dealership assumed she was a stripper and didn’t think twice about it. At this point, she was still just a missing person, but police were beginning to piece together a timeline.

After the person who drove her to the dealership was cleared and questioned, they learned she knocked on a neighbor’s door. Then she was just gone. It wasn’t until police got an anonymous tip on July 18 that they got a break in the case. The tip said a man named Christopher Prestipino killed Esmeralda, along with his roommate Cassandra Garrett. The tip went on to say that “they had injected her with a pool cleaner before taking her out to the desert in a U-Haul truck and dumping her.”

Police looked into Prestipino and found out he had drug charges, and that he lived “essentially on the same street” as Esmeralda. Someone else called the police and told them to speak with a woman named Tricia Ott. When they visited her she told them Prestipino came to her for help. Ott told police she went to his house and saw a U-Haul and a huge wooden box. She said Cassandra was there and she was “whacked out of her mind.”

Ott said that Prestipino was acting incredibly paranoid, and that he told her that there was a woman at the house who “freaked out” and that he tied her up and thought maybe he killed her. Police then went to the local Home Depot and saw footage of Prestipino buying a lot of wood, along with lime, building materials, concrete, and screws. They then checked his cell phone records and found out he had been in the desert for a long time on the 8th of June.

Police then questioned Prestipino’s girlfriend Lisa Mort, who was in jail on something unrelated. She denied any knowledge of anything. She was lying, and would eventually be charged as an accessory. Then they questioned Cassandra and all she said was “I wasn’t in the garage.” Finally, they confronted Prestipino with a search warrant. He told police he had no idea what they were talking about and that he’d “never seen her before.” Below is a picture of Prespitino and Lisa Mort.

Christopher Prestipino and Lisa Mort Photo via Facebook

Investigators eventually convinced Cassandra to take them to the body if they let her get her things in order before she went to jail. Eventually, they found a corpse in a large wooden crate that was covered in concrete. Though the body was unrecognizable they identified Esmeralda through her watch and DNA.

Cassandra Garrett photo via Facebook

Cassandra then gave a full statement about what happened. She said she found Gonzalez walking around the neighborhood and brought her to Prespitino’s house. Some news reports say that Prestipino propositioned Esmeralda for sex without knowing she was in a fragile mental state. He gave her meth, police said, and Esmeralda started speaking in the “devil’s tongue.”

Panicking, Prestipino tied her to a chair. She started yelling about cops and tried to punch him, so he strangled her and then Cassandra injected her with pool cleaner. Then they started the long process of disposing of the body.

Mort would eventually plead guilty as an accessory. She got two to five years in prison. Cassandra pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and got 20 years with eligibility for parole after eight. Prespitino was given a 10 to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder and 15 years for kidnapping, to be served concurrently.

By: Jon Silman
Title: The tragic death of a Las Vegas Instagram influencer who was injected with pool cleaner and dumped in the desert
Sourced From: wegotthiscovered.com/true-crime/the-tragic-death-of-a-las-vegas-instagram-influencer-who-was-injected-with-pool-cleaner-and-dumped-in-the-desert/
Published Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:51:07 +0000

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Aditi Rao Hydari Opens Up on Heeramandi Viral Walk

Aditi Rao Hydari Heeramandi walkAditi Rao Hydari (Photo Credit: Netflix)

Aditi Rao Hydari has recently captured the internet’s attention with her mesmerizing ‘gajagamini walk’ from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series, Heeramandi. The actor’s graceful performance in the song ‘Saiyaan Hatto Jaao’ has received widespread acclaim, prompting her to express gratitude towards her fans for their love and praise.

How did Aditi Rao Hydari create her viral walk in Heeramandi?

Aditi Rao Hydari recently shared how she feels deeply moved by the positive response to her performance. In a recent interview, she shared her feelings about the unexpected yet heartwarming reaction from the audience. “I am thanking everybody. That walk, just that little tukda from thumri, it is all over the internet. I really didn’t expect that and Sanjay sir did say, ‘Ye chaal bahut important hai (This walk is very important),’” Aditi said. She further reflected on the effort and dedication that went into perfecting the walk, which has now become iconic.

The Heeramandi actor provided a glimpse into the meticulous process behind the creation of the song, highlighting Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s deep involvement in every detail. The dance choreographer was Kruti Mahesh. Despite this, Bhansali engrossed himself in every aspect of the song’s choreography.

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A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

“Kruti Mahesh was there choreographing, but he was completely involved in every detail of the choreography. He was very particular about this walk and how it should happen. How will the dupatta fall, how will the waist move. Exactly when the ‘chan’ sound will be heard… it was quite incredible,” Aditi elaborated. This attention to detail is a hallmark of Bhansali’s work, ensuring that every movement, gesture, and nuance contributes to the overall impact of the scene.

For those unaware, Netflix recently released much-awaited, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar on May 1, 2024. Since then, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s OTT debut has garnered widespread acclaim for its grandeur, stellar performances, and storyline. It is currently available to stream on Netflix.

The post Aditi Rao Hydari Opens Up on Heeramandi Viral Walk appeared first on ComingSoon.net – Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

By: Devanshi Basu
Title: Aditi Rao Hydari Opens Up on Heeramandi Viral Walk
Sourced From: www.comingsoon.net/indian/news/1719301-aditi-rao-hydari-opens-up-on-heeramandi-viral-walk
Published Date: Wed, 15 May 2024 11:19:44 +0000

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‘X-Men ’97’ season finale ending and post-credits scene, explained

Warning: This article contains full spoilers for X-Men ’97 episode 10.

There goes, X-Men ’97 season 1 — easily one of the finest stories Marvel Studios has ever told. Rarely has the studio behind the MCU delivered something both so authentic to its source material and celebratory of these characters and the universe they inhabit.

The bad news? This run of 10 terrific episodes, uncanny in how astonishing they were (see what I did there?), has now come to a close. The good news? This definitely isn’t the end of the road as a second season is on the way. As promised by the finale’s open-ended conclusion and, of course, a post-credits scene teasing what’s coming next.

So what happens in the last scenes of X-Men ’97‘s finale and what does it all mean?

Where are the X-Men?

Jean Grey and Cyclops in X-Men 97 finaleScreenshot via Marvel Animation/Disney Plus

“Tolerance is Extinction, Part 3” picks up right where we left off, with the X-Men trying to stop Magneto and Bastion’s competing plans to end life on Earth.

After the X-Men succeed in destroying Bastion’s Asteroid M, before it collides with the planet, the team are missing and presumed dead in the explosion. Forge searches for months for any trace of them — specifically, Storm — but to no avail. Finally, Bishop visits him and reveals the truth: someone, or something, saved the X-Men by flinging them somewhere (or somewhen) else in time. Bishop recruits Forge to help track the time-displaced X-Men down.

In 3000 BC Egypt, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Beast, Magneto, and Professor X fight off some ancient Egyptian guards and are aided by a mysterious masked figure. Once they fight is over, the gang thank the stranger and ask his name. “My name is En Sabah Nur,” he responds. That’s right, the X-Men have stumbled upon the younger version of their nemesis, Apocalypse!

Meanwhile, Jean Grey and Cyclops have been sent into the far-future, finding themselves in a barren wasteland in the year 3960 AD. They are approached by an elder wise woman who calls herself Mother Askani, leader of the Clan Askani. A boy then emerges from the Clan Askani’s tent and warns the rest that these two newcomers do not mean them harm. The young boy is extremely familiar-looking, what with his distinctive red hair. His name is Nathan — aka a young Cable, Scott and Jean/Madelyne’s son!

Is Apocalypse the big bad of X-Men ’97 season 2?

En Sabah Nur/Young Apocalypse in X-Men 97Screenshot via Marvel Animation/Disney Plus

In true Marvel Studios style, the X-Men ’97 finale then concludes with a post-credits scene. The action returns to the ruins of Genosha in the present-day, where a shadowy figure stalks through the devastation caused by Bastion back in episode 5.

“So much pain, my children,” the figure booms, before retrieving a Queen of Hearts card from the rubble. “So much death…” As a shot of those distinctive blue lips makes clear, this is the grown-up Apocalypse, who seems all set to be the big bad of X-Men ’97 season 2. Even if we didn’t know we were getting one already, the “TO BE CONTINUED…” card at the episode’s end confirms it.

All things considered, it looks like we’re in for a deep-dive into Apocalypse’s character next time around, as the X-Men get to know his origins in the past while he cooks up some evil scheme in the present. The card he finds is clearly Gambit’s, so it’s very likely he’ll resurrect Remy and turn him into one of his Four Horsemen. Gambit alive again? Yay! Gambit turned evil? No way!

With any luck, X-Men ’97 season 2 will release sometime in 2025. For the meantime, all 10 episodes of season 1 can be streamed on Disney Plus.

By: Christian Bone
Title: ‘X-Men ’97’ season finale ending and post-credits scene, explained
Sourced From: wegotthiscovered.com/marvel/x-men-97-season-finale-ending-and-post-credits-scene-explained/
Published Date: Wed, 15 May 2024 10:58:02 +0000

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Brats Streaming Release Date: When Is It Coming Out on Hulu?

Brats Streaming Release Date: When Is It Coming Out on Hulu?Image Credits: Hulu

The Brats Hulu release date is right around the corner, and viewers are wondering when they can start streaming the documentary.

Brats is an upcoming documentary film written and directed by Andrew McCarthy. The film explores “The Brat Pack,” a group of talented young actors who rose to fame in the 1980s through their roles in iconic teenage coming-of-age movies. Here’s when the documentary is coming out on Hulu.

When is the Brats Hulu release date?

The Brats Hulu release date is Thursday, June 13, 2024.

According to Deadline, the documentary focuses on influential films of the 1980s that starred teen icons. Director McCarthy reunites with former members of the group, providing viewers insights into their experiences as part of the Brat Pack. Additionally, the film includes a conversation with writer David Blum, who first coined the Brat Pack in the cover story of New York Magazine.

The documentary is executive produced by Brian Gersh, Paul Gertz, Brian Liebman, Andrew McCarthy, Dan O’Meara, Tom Quinn, Victoria Thompson, and Kent Wingerak. Evans Brown and Adrian Buitenhuis are the cinematographers while Tony Kent serves as the editor.

Brats features the appearances of Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Lea Thompson, and Rob Lowe among others.

When is Brats coming out via streaming?

Brats is available to watch via streaming on Hulu on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Viewers will be able to stream it at this time.

Current Hulu subscribers will be able to watch the documentary when it airs.

Brats’ official synopsis reads:

“Based on his memoir, this documentary takes an intimate look at the life of actor Andrew McCarthy who grew to fame in the 1980s and was part of a group of actors known as The Brat Pack.”


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The post Brats Streaming Release Date: When Is It Coming Out on Hulu? appeared first on ComingSoon.net – Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

By: Disheeta Maheshwari
Title: Brats Streaming Release Date: When Is It Coming Out on Hulu?
Sourced From: www.comingsoon.net/guides/news/1719265-brats-streaming-release-date-when-is-it-coming-out-on-hulu
Published Date: Wed, 15 May 2024 11:54:59 +0000

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