Was Michelle Warner Harmed by Ex?/Michelle Warner Body Found: Mark Castellano Leads Texas Police To Former Lover's Corpse. Sentenced to 27 years.

Missing mom Michelle Warner hasn't been seen since Saturday night after she had a fight with her ex-boyfriend Mark Castellano. The details in this case so far are heavy with suspicion, and it's likely that this one isn't going to end on a positive note. Like the case of slain mother Lynn Jackenheimer, the estranged boyfriend in this one drove the child he shared with the missing woman to loved ones located several hours away -- the same night the woman vanished.

So where is 31-year-old Michelle Warner? There is no telling, but those who know her have grave concerns for her. She hasn't been in contact with anyone, nor has there been any activity on her mobile phone. This isn't in her personality according to loved ones.

It's also reported that the relationship the missing woman had with her former boyfriend was "never a good situation," and Castellano had "psychotic spells." These details combine to make a recipe for disaster so it wouldn't be surprising if investigators suspected foul play in this disappearance.

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Police in Houston are searching for clues to determine why a Houston mother disappeared this weekend after an argument with her ex-boyfriend, who then left town with their 3-year-old son.

Michelle Warner, 31, was last seen Saturday night at her apartment complex in Houston where she lived with her estranged boyfriend, Mark Castellano, and son Cayden. She disappeared the same night Castellano took the boy more than eight hours away to be with relatives.

Mark Castellano told authorities that he and Cayden headed to Odessa, Texas, Saturday after the argument and Warner stormed out of their apartment, which he rented, officials said.

Family members and friends say Warner's cellphone has been off since the weekend and that it is unlike her to disappear from her home without her car as her boyfriend described.

Stefanie Helton, who has been Warner's best friend for more than 20 years, said the relationship between Warner, who had been working as a paralegal, and Castellano has "never been a good situation."

She said the two met when the three of them were working together at home health-care service provider Quality Infusion Care.

Helton said the couple were "barely dating at the time" Warner became pregnant in 2008, and that Castellano had "psychotic spells."

"He had episodes, he tried suicide ...," she said. "He's done other crazy things. Nothing extra-violent; he'd push her up against the wall, that type of thing. He'd threatened her."

Helton said that a family member of Warner's told her that Castellano said that they'd gotten into argument Saturday, and that he got mad and threw a pet cat against a wall. The family member told Helton that Castellano said Warner then became irate and hit him, before leaving the apartment.

Helton said bleach stains leading from the bedroom, through the living room and out front door were found in the apartment, although Officer Danny Do of the Houston Police Department said that could not be verified.

When police visited the apartment, Do said, they did notice that Warner's computer's central processing unit was missing.

Officer Do said Castellano told police that he had taken the CPU of the computer so he could get some information from it.

Do said Castellano has been cooperative with police, and that they spoke with him this morning. "This is still a missing-person case; we don't have any other evidence at this time," Do said.

He added that the Houston Missing Persons Department has spoken with the Homicide Department about the case.

Eric Moore, the shop manager at Sugar Land PC in Houston where Castellano worked, said that as of last week, he was no longer employed there.

Texas EquuSearch, an organization dedicated to searching for missing people, has joined in the hunt for Warner.

Warner is 5-foot-6, weighs around 125 pounds and has blue eyes and dark-brown hair. She has a dolphin tattoo on the backside of her shoulder and small butterfly tattoo on one foot.

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A Houston woman has vanished after an argument with her ex-boyfriend, who then skipped town with the couple's 3-year-old son.

Michelle Warner, 31, was last seen around midnight on Saturday, at the apartment complex where she was living with her ex, Mark Castellano, and their son, Cayden, ABC reports.

Authorities say Warner stormed out of the apartment after a fight with Castellano, KHOU reports. Later that night, Castellano took Cayden over eight hours away to stay with relatives.

Loved ones say this kind of disappearance is uncharacteristic of Warner. “She would never ever go this long without talking to somebody,” Stephanie Helton, who has known Warner since elementary school, told KHOU.

Family members who visited the apartment over the past few days noticed that the carpets had been freshly treated with bleach.

Warner is described as 5-foot-6, around 120 pounds, KTRK reports. She has blue eyes, dark brown hair, a dolphin tattoo on the back of her shoulder and a small butterfly tattoo on one foot. She also has a small stud ring on the right side of her nose.

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There is another, very good video at above link I cannot embed.

Posted: 10/01/2012 11:47 am EDT

Authorities have recovered the body of a 31-year-old Houston mother who went missing last week after an argument with her ex-boyfriend.

A statement to police from Michelle Warner's former lover, Mark Castellano, led investigators to her corpse, dumped approximately 500 miles away in Odessa, Tx., ABC News reports.

On Sunday, Castellano, 37, told officials that he went to stay with family near the Odessa-Midland region after disposing of the body, only to fly back to Houston on Sunday where he issued his confession, according to Click2Houston.

Warner disappeared on Sept. 22 from an apartment where she lived with Castellano and their 3-year-old son, Cayden. Castellano initially told authorities that Warner stormed out with her bag and phone following a fight, according to KTRK.

Stefanie Helton, Warner's close friend of 20 years, characterized Castellano as someone prone to "psychotic spells."

"He had episodes, he tried suicide ...," she said, according to ABC News. "He's done other crazy things. Nothing extra-violent; he'd push her up against the wall, that type of thing. He's threatened her."

Around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Houston police contacted the Midland County Sheriff's Office with information that led to Warner's body. Investigators found Warner's body in a "partial grave" four hours later, MyWestTexas reports.

Murder charges against Castellano are pending as police continue their investigation, according to KTRK.

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WHY,if he has confessed, are murder charges Pending??????

By KEVIN DOLAK (@kdolak) and ANTHONY CASTELLANO
Oct. 1, 2012

Police have found the body of a 31-year-old Houston mother after her ex-boyfriend gave a statement implicating himself in her death, according to police.

The body of Michelle Warner, 31, was found Sunday more than 500 miles away in Odessa, Texas, according to ABC News affiliate KTRK-TV. Mark Castellano gave police information Sunday that led to the discovery of Warner's body. Warner and Castellano have a 3-year-old son named Cayden.

Police said murder charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing, according to KTRK.

snipped from:
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Mark Augustin Castellano, 37, who has been has been charged with killing his girlfriend in Houston and then burying her body in an oil field, had apparently discussed the case with the host of the ‘Dr. Phil’ show two days before he came clean to police.

BY VICTORIA CAVALIERE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012, 12:25 PM

A man accused of killing his girlfriend in Houston and then burying her body in an oil field some 500 miles away had apparently discussed the case with the host of the TV talk show “Dr. Phil” two days before he came clean to police.

Mark Augustin Castellano, 37, has been charged with murder in connection with the Sept. 22 death of 31-year-old Michelle Warner.

During a court hearing early Tuesday, prosecutors said Castellano had revealed grisly details of the crime to police.

A law enforcement official told the court that Castellano had demonstrated how he killed her, and said he “heard her neck snap,” KHOU-TV reported. Castellano also said he put a plastic bag on the victim’s head and “tied it off,” according to the report.

Castellano’s confession came Sunday, two days after he had discussed the case with talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw, police said. “Dr. Phil” is scheduled to feature a segment with Warner’s family this week.

It was still unclear what Castellano told Dr. Phil, but police believe he reiterated his original denial that he knew Warner’s whereabouts.

"He talks to Dr. Phil, provides Dr. Phil, as I understand it, with the same information he’s been providing everyone else,” Houston Detective Fil Waters told the Associated Press.

Castellano had told police that Warner had run out on him and their 3-year-old son during an argument at home in Houston on Sept. 22.

A few days later, her family reported her missing.

Her family decided to fly to Los Angeles to discuss her disappearance on “Dr. Phil.” They also maintained that Castellano had something to do with the case, police said.

Finally, on Sunday, Castellano allegedly told investigators in Houston he had killed Warner, a woman he “loved greatly yet hated terribly,” according to the Houston Chronicle.

Warner and Castellano had been together off and on for several years, and Warner had another boyfriend, the Chronicle reported.

The “Dr. Phil” segment featuring Warner’s family is expected to air Thursday.

During a fight on Sept. 22, Castellano grabbed Warner’s neck and heard the “snap,” police said. When their son came in the room and saw his mom’s legs dangling off the bed, Castellano said she was sleeping, the Chronicle reported.

He then he hid her body in a closet until finally stuffing her in a plastic container and driving 500 miles west to Odessa, where he buried her body in an oil field. Castellano’s parents live in the area, police said.

The “Dr. Phil” segment featuring Warner’s family is expected to air Thursday.

“Mr. Castellano sat down for an interview with Dr. Phil in Texas just before his confession to law enforcement, late last week. Dr. Phil also conducted an interview with Ms. Warner’s family for this show, which is currently scheduled to air on Thursday,” Stacey Luchs told The Associated Press.

Castellano is being held on a $150,000 bond.

Warner’s son is safe with family in Houston, KHOU-TV reported.

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OMG!!!

October 4, 2012

Less than 48 hours after sitting down for an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil, 37-year-old Mark Castellano confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend, 31-year-old Michelle Warner. Michelle, the mother of the former couple's 3-year-old son, had reportedly gone missing on September 22 after an argument with Mark. While authorities searched for Michelle, amid speculation of wrongdoing, Mark agreed to the one-on-one with Dr. Phil. After confessing to police, Mark contacted a Dr. Phil show producer — Hear what he says happened that night. Whom does he blame? What did he tell police he did with Michelle's body? And where was their son during the gruesome incident? Then, Dr. Phil speaks with Michelle's family. Can Dr. Phil help them make sense of their tragic loss?

"An Incredible Web of Lies and Deceit"

When Mark sat down with Dr. Phil, he said that, after an explosive argument with his ex-girlfriend, Michelle, she vanished without a trace from their southwest Houston apartment. By his account, the mother of two had stormed off to her room, and when he later went to check on her, she and her purse were gone, but her car remained parked in the driveway. Mark said that he then drove eight hours to drop off their 3-year-old son, Cayden, with relatives, and later returned home to gather his things.

Meanwhile, Michelle’s worried family filed a missing person’s report. According to authorities, there had been no cell phone or credit card activity since her disappearance. Michelle’s family says that the typically talkative and attentive mother would never go without checking in with her children or her family and friends. Meanwhile, a cloud of suspicion began to surround Mark, as some people started reporting what they believed to be "bizarre behavior" in the days following her disappearance. Friends of Michelle said Mark had cleaned their apartment with bleach, removed hard drives from Michelle’s computer, moved boxes from their home — and then there was the eight-hour road trip with their son in the middle of the night.

Before meeting with the Houston Police Department, Mark agreed to first speak with Dr. Phil. Less than two days later, he confessed to killing Michelle.

“Watch as he spins an incredible web of lies and deceit,” Dr. Phil says. In the exclusive one-on-one, Mark tells Dr. Phil his version of the last time he says he saw Michelle; claiming that she would habitually go missing and emphasizing the toxic nature of their relationship. Mark also says Michelle was abusing drugs and explains how she assaulted him the night she went missing — and on a regular basis. In Mark's own words, "she owned me," speaking of Michelle in the past tense.

Wanting to see how far Mark would take his twisted version of the truth, Dr. Phil tells Mark, “Friends describe Michelle as bubbly, engaging and interactive … those same people describe you as psychotic.”

What does Mark tell Dr. Phil happened the last time he saw Michelle? And, how does he explain the bleach in the apartment?

Where are the missing hard drives from Michelle’s computer?

“Did you kill her?”

The Confession

Less than 48 hours after speaking to Dr. Phil, Mark says he grew "tired of lying," and confessed to the Houston Police Department that he killed Michelle. He then called a Dr. Phil show producer, apologized for his deception, and explained what he says really happened to Michelle.

When Michelle’s mother, brother and sister-in-law arrived in Los Angeles, they expected to speak to Dr. Phil about Michelle's missing person's case. But instead, they learned the tragic news — Michelle was dead. “We wanted closure, but we always held out hope that she is still alive out there,” her mother, Donna, tells Dr. Phil. Donna says Michelle’s family did not like Mark, whom she calls narcissistic and “off mentally.” Learn what they say they would like to happen to Mark now.

Mark is currently in jail, being held on $150,000 bond, charged with the murder of Michelle Warner. He says he plans to plead guilty.

Dr. Phil will lend support to Michelle's family during this difficult time, and provide them with the help they need, when they are ready.


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By Brian Rogers
June 6, 2014 | Updated: June 6, 2014 9:58pm

Donna Malone wears a necklace belonging to her murdered daughter, Michelle Warner, mother of two, who was strangled by her boyfriend, Mark Castellano, who first claimed she abandoned her kids.
Melissa Phillip, Staff

Michelle Warner wore a small silver compass on a thin chain every day for years.

The 31-year-old mother of two was wearing it when her boyfriend strangled her in 2012 and days later when he drove her body to Midland and buried her in a shallow grave.

Warner's mother wore it Friday as she watched jurors sentence Mark Castellano to 27 years in prison for murder.

"It says, 'There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going,'" Donna Malone said. "That's what I have left of her."

Friday would have been Warner's 32rd birthday, a detail that her relatives emphasized in their comments to Castellano from the witness stand after sentencing. Warner's mother, father, brother and teenage daughter took turns berating the 39-year-old.

"You are the embodiment of evil," Malone said. "May you slowly and eternally rot in the worst kind of Hell."

Warner's 13-year-old daughter also upbraided Castellano for lying about her mother's disappearance, including when he appeared on the Dr. Phil show and said she abandoned her children after the couple had a fight.

"She didn't love you, and we all know that," Hayley Warner said. "And that thought killed you. Is that why you killed her?"

Outside the courtroom, Warner's family said they had hoped for a life sentence and were frustrated with the verdict.

Michelle Warner, 31, whose body was recovered near Odessa.


The sentence means Castellano will be eligible for parole in 13 and a half years, which pleased defense lawyers who had argued that Castellano was acting in self-defense.

"I'm grateful they had mercy on him," said Assistant Public Defender Eric Davis. "The state was arguing for life."

Davis said prosecutors had offered a plea bargain of 55 years in prison, double what Castellano received.

He said authorities had no evidence against Castellano until he began to feel guilty and cooperated.

"They saw he had remorse," Davis said.

Prosecutors declined to comment after Friday's punishment was announced.

Attorney Eric Davis, left, shown with his client, Mark Castellano, who was going to appear on TV show "Dr. Phil" to talk about how his girlfriend allegedly left behind her two children before he confessed.
Melissa Phillip, Staff

Jurors did not speak to reporters waiting for them outside the courtroom. One, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, later said he argued for a sentence in the range of 80 to 90 years.

Because jurors could have found that Castellano acted in sudden passion, he could have been sentenced to as little as two years in prison.

"It was a compromise," the juror said.

The jury deliberated about four hours Friday. They convicted Castellano a day earlier, rejecting claims that he acted in self-defense when he strangled Warner in the bedroom of their Houston home, while their 3-year-old son was in the next room.

Castellano did not react as the verdict was read by state District Judge Jan Crocker or during the victim impact statements.

During more than a week of testimony, prosecutors proved that Castellano strangled Warner after telling a friend he wanted to kill her and take their son to live with his parents in West Texas.

After killing her and putting her body in a closet, Castellano took their son to stay with his parents in Odessa. A day later, he returned to Houston and put the body in a plastic container and drove back to West Texas to hide the remains in a Midland oilfield.

For days, Castellano told family members and authorities that Warner, who had a previous conviction for drug use, had abandoned her children.

At the urging of police, Castellano agreed to an interview with Dr. Phil.

He later confessed to the crime and said she took a swing at him and the two fell while he had his hands around her neck.

He also told investigators where to find her body and drew them a map.

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