Dover man accused of plotting wife’s murder, trying to frame man killed in staged suicide, wants out of jail
TAMPA, Fla. - A man at the center of a double murder plot fought to be released on bond Thursday.
Cornelio Negrete may not have pulled the trigger, but he played a major role in his wife's murder, according to prosecutor Chinwe Fossett.
"He researched. He gave his cousin the gun, had his wife killed, and he staged the crime scene," Fossett argued.
Prosecutors said Negrete recruited his cousin, Daniel Negrete, and his cousin's girlfriend, Fatima Avila, to help him kill his wife, Erica Aviles.
Murder victim Erica Negrete Aviles
On July 18, detectives said Erica Aviles was shot dead outside her Dover home. Cornelio Negrete was shot as well, but suffered a superficial wound on the side of his stomach.
According to investigators, Cornelio Negrete believed his wife was cheating on him with one of her co-workers.
During a bond hearing, Fossett told the court that Cornelio Negrete's online search history, in the days before her murder, reveal a motive.
Cornelio Negrete sits in court during a bond hearing.
"What does he search?" asked Fossett.
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Hillsborough County sheriff's detective Joshua Davis responded, "Basically, ‘Is getting revenge worth it?’"
Since his arrest in August, Cornelio Negrete has been trying to get out on bond and, surprisingly, the victim’s family came to his defense.
Pictured: Daniel Negrete and his girlfriend, Fatima Garcia Avila
Erica Aviles’ sister, Yamalet Aviles, said she didn't believe her brother-in-law is a danger to the community.
"No, I don’t have nothing, no concerns about him," stated Yamalet Aviles.
Erica's father, Gabriel Aviles, vouched for him too.
"He’s a good person. He’s a good dad," testified Gabriel Aviles.
Fossett challenged both family members, asking Gabriel Aviles if he will feel differently about Negrete if the evidence shows he was involved in his daughter's murder.
Gabriel Aviles responded, "If he is responsible, he will face the consequences, but I am not the judge of that."
But prosecutors said the trio's twisted, deadly plot wasn't over.
Fatima Avilas then planned to pin Erica Aviles' murder on her ex-boyfriend, Antonio Cuellar Enriquez.
On July 26, Enriquez was found shot to death at the Baker Creek boat ramp in Thonotosassa.
Detectives said Daniel Negrete was the shooter, but tried to make it look like a suicide.
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By the time prosecutors untangled the crime spree during the hour-long hearing, Tampa judge Robin Fuson had made up his mind.
"I find plenty of evidence that his complicity, in this case, is on par with the other ones and I'm going to deny his bond," ruled Fuson.
Cornelio Negrete faces a number of charges that include murder, conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence and filing a false police report.