Verdict reached in Lisa Dykes murder trial
DALLAS - A guilty verdict was reached in the murder trial for Lisa Dykes, the woman charged with the stabbing death of Marisela Botello in Dallas' Deep Ellum area three years ago.
Dykes was found guilty of murder and tampering with evidence.
Twenty-three-year-old Marisela Botello was in Dallas from Seattle to visit a friend in October 2020. She was last seen by that friend when she left his apartment on October 4 to meet friends at a nightclub, according to Marano's arrest affidavit. A Lyft driver picked her up and she never returned.
Investigators determined that Botello was stabbed by Lisa Dykes the night before she was set to return to Washington.
Botello's remains were found in an empty field in Wilmer on March 23, 2021.
The investigation led to Dykes, Nina Merano, and Charles Beltran, who were all originally charged in connection with Botello's death.
On March 24, 2021, Marano was arrested in Miami and on March 26, 2021, Dykes was arrested in Orlando. On April 2, 2021, the third suspect Charles Beltran was arrested in West Jordan, Florida.
Last week, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office filed motions to dismiss the charges against Nina Marano and Charles Beltran.