BUCKEYE, Ariz. — The criminal case filed against the adoptive mother of Jesse Wilson, a 10-year-old boy whose skeletal remains were found in 2018, could be dismissed over insufficient evidence after the Maricopa Attorney's Office filed a motion for dismissal of the case.
The Buckeye Police Department announced Tuesday the agency was "disappointed" to learn that a motion to dismiss Crystal Wilson's criminal case had been filed by the state.
“We are disappointed the criminal case against Crystal Wilson will not be moving forward at this time. While Buckeye police worked closely with prosecutors to secure a grand jury indictment and make an arrest, it has been determined the evidence would not be enough to secure a conviction. We thank the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for their assistance," Chief Robert Sanders said in a statement.
Online court records show Crystal Wilson's criminal charge of hiding a dead body was dismissed by a prosecution motion this week.
The mother was extradited to Arizona last year after law enforcement built a case around the disappearance of her son.
Crystal Wilson told police Jesse had run away from their home after she had put him to bed for the night on July 18, 2016. Several searches were conducted but Jesse's remains were not found until a couple of years later near State Route 85 and Broadway Road.
Jesse Wilson's biological grandmother, Cynthia Lauderdale, told 12News she was shocked to hear the case was dismissed.
"This case should have been worked and closed years ago," Lauderdale said.
Lauderdale said she believes there is enough evidence out there to bring justice to her grandson.
"Jesse deserves justice, and his case needs to be worked and not set aside and go cold," Lauderdale said.
Sanders said the investigation into Jesse's death remains active and police will have the chance to resubmit charges.
"The bottom line is Crystal Wilson is the only person who knows what happened to Jesse," the chief said. "Fortunately, the recent court action allows the Buckeye Police Department to present the case again when more information is developed."
Attorney Hector Diaz is not associated with this case, but explains because the case was dismissed without prejudice, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office will be able to file new charges.
“The public shouldn’t assume here that because there was this announcement that there was a dismissal that this is the end of the case," Diaz said. “(Prosecutors) have to feel confident and comfortable that the evidence that they’re going to present, the evidence that they have is going to be sufficient to obtain a conviction when they present it to a jury.”
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office released the following statement:
“The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has filed a motion to dismiss without prejudice the case against Crystal Wilson. Wilson was facing one count of unlawful transport of a dead body. At this time, there was insufficient evidence to move forward with the trial against the defendant. If new evidence is discovered and brought by law enforcement in the future, the office is open to reexamining the case.”
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UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.