A British trainee dental nurse said she was going to Disney World before she flew to Arizona and married a death row inmate who killed two people and dumped one of their bodies in an alley.
Rebecca Short (26 years old) from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire told her family that she was going on vacation to the USA and posted photos from Disney World and San Francisco.
Her relatives were surprised when she posted photos of her marrying Manuel Ovante Jr. (Mexican-American double murderer) in Florence, Arizona.
With Mexican-American Ovante in prison orange jumpsuit, the Oxfordshire woman was photographed in black.
Ovante was sentenced to death by the government in 2010. He was convicted of murdering 2 men in 2008 while looking for methamphetamine.
Rebecca Short (26), Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire told her family that she was in Disney World on vacation before revealing to her family that she was married to a death row inmate in the United States.
The trainee dental nurse posted a photo of herself in Mickey Mouse ears from Disney World, Florida
Rebecca met double-murderer Xavier through pen pal.
According to reports, the British dental student was obsessed with documentaries on serial killers in America.
Ovante’s profile of pen pal has been online. According to the killer, he was a “goofball” and “very loyal”.
He stated that he wanted someone who had a sense of humor and enjoyed life.
“I am easy going and a bit silly sometimes,” wrote the death row inmate.
“Very loyal to those I care about. No one is perfect so I try not to judge others by my past failures.
“I enjoy reading and listening to music. Bonnie, my daughter is mine.
‘I don’t know what I am looking for in pen pals so I suppose you’ll have surprise me.
I’m looking for someone to make my life easier. A person who has a sense for humor and loves life.
One of Rebecca’s friends said she was ‘always obsessed with watching Netflix documentaries about serial killers in America, but no one thought she’d run off and marry one,’ in an interview with The Sun.
Ovante and three friends went to a house with a man on June 11th 2008 as they looked for drugs.
Two men and a woman were inside the house when Ovante arrived. Ovante wounded two men and shot one woman in the head twice as she lay asleep.
Ovant took his friend and one of his wounded friends with him in a truck, as he suffered from the gunshot wounds that led to his death.
The corpse of the victim was dumped in an alleyway. Another man, who was also injured, survived the attack.
Double killer allowed to go to his cell on April 14 to wed his British penpal bride.
Rebecca shared the joy of Ovante’s marriage celebration with her family. She showed Ovante a tiered cake decorated with black frosting and the words, ‘Till death do Us Part!’
A tiered cake decorated with red roses, black frosting and black icing was her way to celebrate the union.
After she got married, she also took photos with double murderer’s relatives. Manuel Ovante Jr. is currently serving death sentence at Eyman Jail, Florence (Arizona), via pen pal.
Ovante is one 113 death row prisoner in Arizona’s Browning Unit. Inmates who have been sentenced to execution spend an average of 17 years in Arizona before they die by lethal injection.
The prison holds three death row inmates with pen pal profiles. White supremacist Tracey Hampton, who murdered Charles Findley and his pregnant girlfriend Tanya Ramsdell because he thought her baby’s father was black, also has a profile.
Hampton claimed he had an interesting life and wanted to share letters with women.
He stated, “I love to laugh. I find reasons to smile everyday no matter what.”
Wayne Benoit Prince received a death sentence after he shot his 13-year old daughter Cassandra in the head during an argument with his wife.
According to the killer, he was “very caring” and “a good listener”, and “always very respectful”.
He continued, “I’m grateful for everything in life. I have such an optimistic attitude.”
Manuel Ovante Jr. received a death sentence.
Manuel Ovante Jr is a convicted double murderer on death row at at Eyman jail, Florence, Arizona.
On April 20, 2022, he was married to Rebecca Short, a 26-year-old British trainee dentist from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.
Her family had heard her tell that she was in Disney World on vacation before she met the serial killer.
Ovante was sentenced to death.
Ovante was with three of his friends searching for drugs in Phoenix (Arizona) on June 11th 2008 when they arrived at Jordan Trujillo’s house.
The Mexican-American man hoped Ms Trujillo would be able to give them methamphetamine but she refused.
Ovante was calm and returned to her house repeatedly until they finally found Ovante asleep.
Two others, Damien Vickers and Gabriel Valenzuela were also at the house while Ms Trujillo was asleep on the living room sofa.
Without warning, Ovante drew a loaded gun and shouted ‘Who left the safety on?’ He pointed it at Valenzuela and told him not to move.
Then he moved his aim to the sleeping Jordan Trujillo on the sofa. She was almost immediately killed when he shot two shots in her head.
Both Mr Valenzuela, and Mr Vickers began shouting. Ovante shot at both of them several times, and then he stopped.
Manuel Ovante Jr., 35 (pictured), shot two heads of a woman as she was sleeping and then killed another man, before disposing his corpse in an alley.
Mr Vickers begged Mr Valenzuela for help. Ovante wanted two of his friends to run from the scene, but his third friend wanted to transport Mr Vickers to the hospital.
Ovante allowed the wounded man to get into his truck. He was still bleeding from gunshot wounds, and was clutching onto one of his attackers.
Ovante, however, refused to transport him to the hospital. Instead, he let the victim bleed in his truck. Ovante then dumped the body into an alley.
Ovante was finally arrested around one month later. Ovante pleaded guilty two counts first-degree murder and one count aggravated assault.
For Ms Trujillo’s murder, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in 25 years. He also received the death penalty for Mr Vickers murder and an amenable term of six year in prison for the aggravated attack on Mr Valenzuela. He survived his injuries.
Source: caselaw.findlaw.com