Archive | Christen Pacheco

Lily Aramburo featured on Investigation Discovery “Disappeared”

Finally, some good news to announce! I am very happy to share that Lily’s story will be aired on Investigation Discovery  “Disappeared” (my favorite show on ID!) The NBC production/filming crew came down to Miami in May and interviewed Lily’s mother Lucely, Detective Hoadley, Christen Pacheco, Private Investigator Joe Carrillo and myself. We’re so grateful to Kate, Dave and Investigation Discovery channel! The new season premieres on October 24, Lily’s episode will air in December.  

Check out Lily’s little boy behind the scenes!
Photo by Joe Carrillo

Watch the sneak peaks below of Lily’s episode on “Disappeared”.

“Disappeared: Lily Aramburo”

Twenty-four-year-old Lily Aramburo left her fiancé’s Miami condo at 2 a.m., carrying only two bungee cords. Everyone knows that Lily would not have willingly left her 9-month old son behind, was there foul play involved in her disappearance?

“Disappeared: Lily Aramburo’s Drug Relapse”

In what friends describe as uncharacteristic behavior, Lily Aramburo left her fiancé’s Miami condo at 2 a.m. without her 9-month old son and she never returned.

We are still actively seeking justice for Lily and praying for resolution. You can help bring Lily home by spreading the word and sharing this video with friends, on Facebook and other social networks. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

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Lily Aramburo Article Featured in Today’s Miami Herald!

I can’t thank David Ovalle and the Miami Herald enough for publishing this article in our hometown newspaper. We’ve been hoping and praying for so long! Thank you so much! 
Read the article below or click on the link. Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment on this blog post! And stay tuned… new post with updates coming soon!

Search continues 4 years later for missing Kendall woman
Direct link to the Miami Herald article:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/03/2148943/search-continues-4-years-later.html 

By DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
Homicide detectives have recently re-interviewed her boyfriend, who reported her missing one day after she allegedly left the apartment in her nightgown.
For nearly four years, Lucely “Lily” Aramburo’s vanishing has befuddled family and friends. They insisted the 23-year-old mother who disappeared in June 2007 would never have willingly abandoned her infant son.

They have mounted an Internet campaign to keep the case alive.

It seemed to has paid off. After languishing for more than two years with the Miami-Dade’s missing persons unit, the homicide bureau recently took over the case

The target of the investigation: her boyfriend, Christien Pacheco, who was among the last to see her alive.

In the past two weeks, homicide detectives questioned Pacheco twice, he said in an interview Friday. He even submitted to a polygraph, which he failed – results he disputes.

“It burns me up that they keep coming back up to us,” Pacheco, 36, said of police efforts. “We had nothing to do with her missing. She walked out of my apartment, on her own merit. She left.”

He said he is still wracked by guilt for not showing Aramburo enough affection.

Miami-Dade homicide detectives won’t discuss details of the case, but say Aramburo’s disappearance is suspicious.

“She was always in contact with her friends and her family,’’ said Miami-Dade Detective Ray Hoadley. “She isn’t the type of person who goes out on her own. She doesn’t have the temperament. She doesn’t have the resources. She isn’t the type of person to be living in a cave somewhere. It just doesn’t seem possible she’s alive.”

Raised in Miami, Aramburo was a waif of a woman who had struggled with drug abuse and depression. But relatives say she was getting her life together, and was buoyed by the birth of her son, Palden.

“He knows Lily to be in Heaven,” said Aramburo’s mother, Lucely Zaldivar, 44, who cares for the 4 ½ -year-old boy. “But he doesn’t call her Mommy.”

Pacheco is not the father of her son. The couple’s relationship was stormy and fueled by crack cocaine use.

Longing for stability and fresh out a troubled stay in rehab, she moved in with Pacheco in his one-bedroom Kendall apartment at the Villages of Dadeland.

Police have arrested Pacheco, a former U.S. Marine, on a slew of minor drug and trespassing charges since 2001. He is on two years of state probation for resisting arrest with violence and driving without a valid license.

He says he’s sober now, and keeping out of trouble.

Kelly Rae Starling, Pacheco’s ex-girlfriend and Aramburo’s friend, told The Miami New Times in 2008 that Pacheco once “lunged” at her during an argument, and she had to pull the man off Aramburo.

Pacheco denies that claim, saying the fight was between the two girls.

Starling could not be reached for comment.

The events leading up to Aramburo’s disappearance started the night of June 1, 2007. Pacheco, Starling, Aramburo and another friend known as E.J. smoked crack cocaine together, and later returned to the Kendall apartment, according to records.

Pacheco claims that Starling went to the bedroom, sparking a fight between him and Aramburo because Aramburo didn’t want her sleeping there. He said he went into the bedroom for a few minutes to talk to Starling. When he came out, he said, Aramburo had left.

Pacheco claims he looked for her that night, to no avail. “Maybe she was going outside to chill and relax for a few minutes, and she got into someone’s car and things went bad from there,” Pacheco said.

He reported her missing on June 2, 2007, telling Miami-Dade police that she had left the apartment at 2 a.m., wearing nothing more than a long white nightgown and toting two bungee cords. Aramburo, he told police, suffered from schizophrenia and had a history of suicide attempts, according to a police report.

“Were we a bunch of people messed up on drugs at the time? Yes, but we wouldn’t do anything crazy, like hide somebody’s body,” Pacheco said. “No. We’re not like that.”

There were some puzzling behavior that family members and police looked at. Aramburo’s mother says Pacheco didn’t call her until a full 24 hours later, and only to tell her he filed a police report. Pacheco says that in the drug-fueled haze of those days, he doesn’t remember when he called her.

The case was assigned to detective Aaron Mancha, of the missing persons bureau. In interview several years ago with The Miami Herald, he downplayed Aramburo’s disappearance, saying she had been sighted at the Camillus House homeless shelter in February 2008.

Miami-Dade police now say those sightings have been deemed not credible. One of Pacheco’s friends told investigators that Pacheco asked him to lie about one sighting — something Pacheco denies vehemently.

The case dragged in the initial months after the disappearance, her supporters say.

Aramburo’s friend, new media strategist Janet Forte, began a tenacious Internet campaign, starting a blog and social networking pages dedicated to the case. The sites feature links to news accounts, online videos about Aramburo and photos of vigils dedicated to the missing woman.

“I was really frustrated with the lack of help in getting the story out there in the news,” Forte said. “It was the only avenue I had to get awareness out there.”

Thanks to her efforts drumming up publicity, private investigators Ana Lanuza and Joe Carrillo, of Leverage Investigations Inc., volunteered to begin working on the case in 2008. They’re still working.

The case finally ended up in the hands of detective Hoadley, who secured a conviction last year against a North Carolina man in the 1993 south Miami-Dade disappearance of Trinity Robinson — whose body remains missing.

Detective Hoadley praised Forte’s persistence: “If not for her efforts, who knows if the investigation would have continued?”

Anyone with information can call Miami-Dade’s homicide bureau at 305-471-2400, or Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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3 Years. Still No #Justice4Lily




It has been 3 years since Lily Aramburo, a 23 year old South Florida mother, went missing. And the question remains, where is Lily? There is no doubt that someone holds the key to this puzzle.

Lily was last seen at her boyfriend’s apartment on June 1st, 2007. The Dadeland Village Apartments in Kendall near Dadeland Mall. We know that Lily was having relationship problems. She’d been diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia. She was self medicating and suffering from substance abuse. Those last days before her disappearance, Lily and her boyfriend Christen Pacheco had been fighting a lot. 

He claims she just left. Walked out. The time was 2am. According to him, she left her cellphone and purse behind. He said she left in a nightgown and barefoot. He didn’t actually see her walking out -he had gone to the bedroom to speak with Kelly who was in bed. (But somehow) he claims she took bungee cords with her. And yet he said he thought she was just going for a walk to pick flowers.

EJ, the last person in the apartment, was sitting in the livingroom. His statements contradict Christen’s. He said he never saw Lily wearing a nightgown or pajamas and he did not see her take bungee cords. 

Christen waited  24 hours to contact police and report his girlfriend missing to Miami Dade Police Department. He made the police report before calling her mom or calling friends or anyone to inquire about if they had seen her. Isn’t that odd? Wouln’t you make a few phone calls, ask around if anyone has seen or heard from her first, before calling police? He told police that story, that Lily had walked out of his apartment barefoot, in a nightgown with bungee cords. 

A police officer took the report. Despite there being a history of police being called to that address for domestic violence, the officer failed to see any red flags. The start of our long and painful nightmare began.

If you have any information about Lily’s disappearance, we urge you to make an anonymous call to Miami Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 or 1-866-471-8477. You can also submit TIPS via their website www.crimestoppersmiami.com

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Boycott Miami!!


If you listened to War on Crime Radio tonight, you heard Levi suggesting a protest of Miami. I’ve included the show below, take a listen for yourself. Boycotting Miami is a great idea! If I lived outside of Miami, I’d be scared to visit here. Don’t be fooled, Miami Dade Police are not like what you see on CSI:Miami or The First 48.

Lilly was a lifetime resident. She vanished June 1, 2007. Miami Dade Police have not properly investigated this case from the start. The case was assigned to a detective who was on vacation. No one did anything for months! The flyer was created over 2 months later. Police did not interview Christen Pacheco, her boyfriend and the last person to see Lilly alive, until many months after. The list goes on and on. Obstacle after obstacle. Up until the present moment, they are not cooperating or properly investigating the case. Just think about how they will treat a tourist!

This can happen to you or your loved one! Lilly’s story is not special. People disappear from Miami every day. The problem comes in when police don’t do their jobs and don’t investigate. Civil servants (police) are paid by our tax dollars. There is no excuse for their disregard of human life! Miami Dade depends heavily on tourist dollars. Boycott my beautiful city and refuse to travel here until Miami Dade Police investigate Lilly’s case. No one should have to endure the suffering that Lilly’s family has had to endure. Is it a coincidence that the media in Miami rarely report on missing persons? I think not.

Help find Lilly. Boycott Miami. If boycotting is too big a task, then please please for the love of truth, make a phone call to to the US State Attorneys Office in Miami and politely ask them to investigate the possible homicide of Lilly Aramburo. It only takes a minute. The phone number for the State Attorney’s Office in Miami is 305-961-9001. Also, please contact Attorney General Bill McCollum Office, the Contact Person is Sandi Copes at (850) 245-0150. If you’d like to contact Miami Dade Police, the detective’s name is Aaron Mancha, his phone number is (305) 418-7245 and his email is amancha@mdpd.com.

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War on Crime Radio “No Body Murders” Episode You Don’t Want to Miss!


Wednesday night, War on Crime Radio with special co-host, domestic violence expert/author Susan Murphy-Milano, had a very informative and insightful live show with special guest and “No Body Prosecution” expert attorney Thomas A. DiBiase. For over 12 years, Tad worked as Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia and prosecuted homicide cases for most of those years. The mysterious cases of Stacy Peterson, Lilly Aramburo, and Trenton Duckett were discussed.

Tad DiBiase offered his professional opinion and advice concerning Lilly’s disappearance. He agrees, that police should have zeroed in on Christen Pacheco (her boyfriend & last person to see her alive) from the very beginning. He says that women don’t just leave their children behind, even women with history of not treating their children very well. He says it’s simply inexcusable that over a year later, Lilly’s case is still being treated as a missing person. Miami Dade Police say they are operating as if she’s still alive until they have evidence proving that she’s not. That is a huge mistake, according to Tad. He says investigators need to face reality.

But don’t take my word for it. Please listen for yourself, I’ve included the audio below. Take a listen and tell me what you think.

Help find Lilly. Make a phone call to the US State Attorneys Office in Miami and politely ask them to investigate the possible homicide of Lilly Aramburo. It only takes a minute. The phone number for the State Attorney’s Office in Miami is 305-961-9001. Also, please contact Attorney General Bill McCollum Office, the Contact Person is Sandi Copes at (850) 245-0150. Or consider emailing the Miami Herald and asking that they look into Lilly’s case.
rhirsch@MiamiHerald.com
magarcia@MiamiHerald.com

Some other ideas of ways you can help:
* Get involved. You can make a difference.
* Bookmark this blog, Stumble it, share it with friends
* If you have a blog, write about Lilly’s story, we’d love you to include a link on your blog to this one
* If you use RSS feeders, subscribe to our blog and share it
* Join Lilly’s Facebook group
* Add her as a friend on Myspace http://www.myspace.com/missinglillyaramburo and send out a bulletin sharing Lilly’s story
* Contact your media, radio stations, newspapers, etc. Her case desperately needs media attention. The more who hear about her the better our chances of Lilly being found.
* Post Lilly’s flyer at places like WalMart, Target, etc.
* Please keep Lilly and her family in your prayers.

Lilly’s family and friends are very grateful for your support. Especially, to those who have made calls or sent emails for Lilly. A special thank you to Susan, Levi, Tad DiBiase, victim advocates, advocates for missing persons and everyone who stands for truth and justice. Always remember, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” Albert Einstein.

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To Lilly’s Murderer, Your Conscious Must be KILLING You!

Another newly acquired picture of Lilly courtesy of Miami Dade Police Department. With every new picture, sadness tends to overcome me. And all I’m left with are questions.

Christen Pacheco, the man Lilly was engaged to, was one of the last persons to see her alive. He reported her missing, 24 hours after the fact and before ever checking with family or friends. He tried to make it seem as if her intention was to kill herself. He fabricated a tale about Lilly leaving with bungee cords. If it was truly her intention to hang herself or take her own life, her body would have been found by now. My gut feeling screamed murder. But I am not accusing Christen. Although he never behaved like a man suffering due his fiance’s disappearance and never made any attempts to find her, he is innocent until proven guilty. However, several criminal profilers, including Clint Van Zandt, and others in the criminal justice field, all agree that police should have seen red flags immediately. They should have questioned her fiance thoroughly. Police should have started investigating at that most critical moment! But instead, they assigned her case to a detective (Detective Aaron Mancha) who was on vacation! Lilly’s life was treated as completely inconsequential and meaningless. I often think about why. Was it because she’s not white or well off? Was it negligence or something greater and uglier like Missing White Woman Syndrome?

Why is it that after all this time, Miami residents are still unfamiliar with Lilly’s case? Because her case has not interested the news media at all. How could it make an enduring news impression, even locally, if media is unresponsive and unwilling to report?

After all this time, I believe her little boy and family, deserve answers. Something happened to Lilly. She did NOT willingly walk away from her son and her life. Lilly would never allow so much time to pass without making a phone call or checking on her son. Someone took her from us. And many of us will not rest until she is found and justice is served for Lilly Aramburo.

Here’s a direct statement to her perpetrator: YOUR CONSCIOUS MUST BE KILLING YOU!!!

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