Murder of Emily Sander
Encyclopedia
Emily Irene Sander was an 18-year-old American student at Butler Community College
in El Dorado
, Kansas
who worked as an internet porn model. Reported missing on November 23, 2007 and found dead six days later, her disappearance was widely covered in the mainstream news media. Israel Mireles was named as a suspect and later arrested in Mexico and charged. Mireles' capital murder trial in February, 2010 found him guilty of Sander's murder.
According to police, Sander and a man they identified as Israel Mireles were seen leaving a bar in east El Dorado on November 23, 2007. This was the last time Sander was seen alive. Later, blood was discovered in Mireles' motel room next door to an Italian restaurant where he worked as a waiter and Sander's car was found still parked at the bar. The rental car Mireles was driving was found abandoned on November 27 in Vernon, Texas
, where he has relatives.
Six days after Sander's disappearance, on November 29, investigators found a body 50 miles east of El Dorado which they said matched a preliminary physical description of Sander. On December 1, 2007, police confirmed the body to be that of Sander, but refused to comment on the condition of the body. An autopsy
was performed, but the results and cause of death were sealed.
El Dorado, Kansas Police Chief Tom Boren said a special task force of FBI
and Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents was assigned to the case.
. He was subsequently charged in the U.S. with capital murder
, rape
and aggravated sodomy
. When captured, Mireles was with his 16-year-old pregnant girlfriend Victoria Martens. Although prosecutors promised to not file charges against her, Martens initially refused to return to Kansas.
According to Sandy Martens (the mother of Victoria Martens), her daughter had called her on November 24 to tell her Mireles had been involved in an altercation when another man attempted to rob him. Sandy Martens also claimed to have received a text message from her daughter days after the couple fled that said she "had a lot to tell her mother." Later the mother said she believed her daughter thought her trip with Mireles to Mexico was a vacation. Victoria later called home and was picked up at the border. She was taken to Texas, where she was put in juvenile custody. Because Mireles was suspected of impregnating Martens, he was also charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child.
Because Mireles, who was in the United States legally, went to his home country of Mexico, there could have been added complications to the case. Before extraditing a suspect, Mexico requires that authorities submit the most serious charges that the suspect could face. Although the nation will not release someone who could face the death penalty, according to Boren, Mireles will not face the death penalty. The maximum penalty he could face would be life in prison without the possibility of parole. On June 26, 2009, the Associated Press
reported that Mireles was back in the U.S. following extradition.
and aggravated criminal sodomy
. He was convicted on February 12, 2010 of rape and capital murder; the aggravated sodomy charge was dropped as part of the capital murder charge. On March 31, 2010, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
model under the pseudonym Zoey Zane. Friends of Sander said that she was recruited for an internet pornography site during the summer of 2007, shortly after her 18th birthday. She apparently kept her career mostly to herself, and only close friends knew about her pornography career, which was in addition to her work as a secretary. According to Sander's grandmother, Shirley Sander, her family knew nothing of her pornography site and did not believe the reports. Following reports of her modeling, the case drew international attention.
Her friends claimed that when informed about her pornography site, her boyfriend broke up with her.
Investigators said they do not believe that Sander's involvement in porn was connected with her disappearance.
The statement reported that it was a shame that the site drew more viewers after the death of Emily than it had drawn previously.
The Zoey Zane site is currently put to other uses, and no longer displays any mention of Emily Sander.
Butler Community College
Butler Community College is an accredited 2-year community college located in El Dorado, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1927, it was originally named Butler County Community College, as El Dorado is the Butler County seat, but it was renamed in recent years.- Statistics :Butler is a fairly...
in El Dorado
El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
who worked as an internet porn model. Reported missing on November 23, 2007 and found dead six days later, her disappearance was widely covered in the mainstream news media. Israel Mireles was named as a suspect and later arrested in Mexico and charged. Mireles' capital murder trial in February, 2010 found him guilty of Sander's murder.
Circumstances of disappearance
Vernon, Texas
Vernon is a city in Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 11,660; it was 11,077 in the 2005 census estimate. Vernon is the county seat of Wilbarger County....
, where he has relatives.
Six days after Sander's disappearance, on November 29, investigators found a body 50 miles east of El Dorado which they said matched a preliminary physical description of Sander. On December 1, 2007, police confirmed the body to be that of Sander, but refused to comment on the condition of the body. An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
was performed, but the results and cause of death were sealed.
El Dorado, Kansas Police Chief Tom Boren said a special task force of FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents was assigned to the case.
Apprehension
Police in Mexico apprehended the 24-year-old Israel Mireles on December 19, 2007, in Melchor Muzquiz, MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He was subsequently charged in the U.S. with capital murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and aggravated sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. When captured, Mireles was with his 16-year-old pregnant girlfriend Victoria Martens. Although prosecutors promised to not file charges against her, Martens initially refused to return to Kansas.
According to Sandy Martens (the mother of Victoria Martens), her daughter had called her on November 24 to tell her Mireles had been involved in an altercation when another man attempted to rob him. Sandy Martens also claimed to have received a text message from her daughter days after the couple fled that said she "had a lot to tell her mother." Later the mother said she believed her daughter thought her trip with Mireles to Mexico was a vacation. Victoria later called home and was picked up at the border. She was taken to Texas, where she was put in juvenile custody. Because Mireles was suspected of impregnating Martens, he was also charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child.
Because Mireles, who was in the United States legally, went to his home country of Mexico, there could have been added complications to the case. Before extraditing a suspect, Mexico requires that authorities submit the most serious charges that the suspect could face. Although the nation will not release someone who could face the death penalty, according to Boren, Mireles will not face the death penalty. The maximum penalty he could face would be life in prison without the possibility of parole. On June 26, 2009, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Mireles was back in the U.S. following extradition.
Trial
The trial for Mireles was held the week of February 8–12, 2010. He was charged with capital murder, rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and aggravated criminal sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. He was convicted on February 12, 2010 of rape and capital murder; the aggravated sodomy charge was dropped as part of the capital murder charge. On March 31, 2010, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Online activity
After several days of speculation following her disappearance, it was revealed that Emily Sander was an Internet pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
model under the pseudonym Zoey Zane. Friends of Sander said that she was recruited for an internet pornography site during the summer of 2007, shortly after her 18th birthday. She apparently kept her career mostly to herself, and only close friends knew about her pornography career, which was in addition to her work as a secretary. According to Sander's grandmother, Shirley Sander, her family knew nothing of her pornography site and did not believe the reports. Following reports of her modeling, the case drew international attention.
Her friends claimed that when informed about her pornography site, her boyfriend broke up with her.
Investigators said they do not believe that Sander's involvement in porn was connected with her disappearance.
Criticism of the news media
The Zoey Zane porn site featured a statement criticizing the media, saying they had blown Sander's porn career out of proportion.The statement reported that it was a shame that the site drew more viewers after the death of Emily than it had drawn previously.
The Zoey Zane site is currently put to other uses, and no longer displays any mention of Emily Sander.