One of the few surviving members of a family struck by murder-suicide and a history of domestic abuse was in Reno Justice Court Monday, March 14, 2016. Raquel Constantino was initially accused of domestic battery, simple battery, and burglary. She agreed to a plea bargain.
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September 22 of 2015, Mark and Debbie Constantino were found dead in a Sparks apartment. It was the site of a several-hour standoff with police. The cause of death was murder-suicide. But behind the case was a daughter Raquel, who saw the violence and actually participated in it.
“Female by the name of Summer Myers was driving the deceased mother up to check on some dogs when a verbal altercation ensued,” said prosecutor Nick Graham, presenting the facts of the case to Reno Justice Court Judge Peter Sferrazza.
With a roll of her eyes, it appears as if Raquel Constantino had heard the story before. In a criminal complaint written by her now-deceased mother Debbie Constantino, Raquel beat Debbie and Debbie’s friend Summer Myers August 8 after they went to the Constantino house to help contain the family dogs.
Debbie, estranged from her husband Mark, and living with Myers, wrote Raquel, ripped the car door open and started beating Myers.
Raquel then, according to Debbie, went inside the house with Mark and starting beating Debbie Constantino for an hour before Myers could get help from the police.
A little more than a month later, Mark Constantino would kill Debbie in a murder-suicide.
The couple was internationally known as paranormal investigators.
Their deaths shocked those who knew the couple, as well as those who were familiar with Mark and Debbie’s work. Those charges against Raquel stemming from Debbie’s affidavit would be dropped.
The two charges remaining in this case against Raquel would be count 1, simple battery, a misdemeanor, and count 2, burglary, a felony; both would pertain to Summer Myers.
“In exchange for that plea, the state will be dismissing count 2 of that criminal complaint,” Graham testified to the court, concerning the plea bargain.
Judge Peter Sferrazza had attorneys familiarize him with the case.
Defense Attorney Walter Fey told the judge his client now has no parents.
“Ms. Constantino has had since that time, perhaps the most horrific situation that could happen to someone,” said Fey.
“How do you wish to plead then to the charge of battery?” asked Judge Sferrazza
“Guilty,” said Constantino
Her sentence, 175 days suspended.
She must also go through an anger management treatment program as well as an alcohol program in Las Vegas, where she currently lives.
The plea bargain included no restitution for Summer Myers. According to Graham, Myers sustained a black eye in the assault by Constantino, and has undergone therapy because of the beating as well as dealing with her friend’s death.
Categorised in: Paranormal
This post was written by Nadia Vella