At just 22 years of age, Chrismely Hidalgo had already lived a rough life. She was a young mother who occasionally earned money as a prostitute.
Drug addiction and mental problems led Hidalgo to her dangerous lifestyle.
Hidalgo was last seen in Paterson, New Jersey, an area she frequented to buy drugs, before she was strangled to death in January 2013.
On Jan. 27, 2013, Hidalgo’s body was found on Empire Street in Newark near the Route 22 west entrance ramp. The body did not have a coat or shoes on, even though it was winter. Her killer had strangled her to death.
Hidalgo’s family reported her missing on Jan. 26. She was last seen near Union and Redwood Avenues in Paterson’s 1st Ward and Highland Street in the 4th Ward shortly before her murder. Chrismely frequented both areas to purchase drugs.
Local law enforcement officials said the killer had thrown Hidalgo from a vehicle heading up the ramp around 60 mph. She fell headfirst and cracked her skull, but Hidalgo was already dead when her killer or killers threw her out of the vehicle.
Her family believes the killing occurred in Paterson.
At first, authorities had indicated that surveillance cameras in those areas might provide important clues in the case but later said the cameras were not working correctly.
Her sister, Yohanaka Isabel, claimed the police knew the identity of Hidalgo’s killer but let him go. According to the family, his DNA was found under her fingernails, and he had visible scratches on his face when authorities brought him in for questioning. The man told investigators he had “rough sex” with Hidalgo, and they released him.
Her family insisted that it was not part of her lifestyle. Authorities declined to discuss the family’s allegations.
Desperate to find answers, the Hidalgo family attended a Paterson City Council meeting in July 2014 and asked municipal officials to help, but it was futile.
Few details are available in the case.
In a weird turn of events, a man was shot and killed in his vehicle while his girlfriend attended Hidalgo’s wake at Martinez Memorial funeral home on Jan. 31, 2013.
As Conrad Bishop sat in his car at the corner of East 28th and Market Streets, 25-year-old Walter Wybolt jumped in the vehicle and shot Bishop several times during an attempted robbery.
The two men knew one another. Wybolt had purchased PCP-dipped cigarettes from Bishop. On the day of the shooting, Wybolt arranged a meeting with Bishop outside the funeral home.
Wybolt targeted Bishop for his drug supply and any cash Bishop was carrying.
A judge sentenced Wybolt to a mandatory minimum term of 11 years and 18 days with a maximum of 13 years in prison. His parole eligibility date is March 9, 2024.
The two murders are believed to be unrelated, and it is unclear if Wybolt knew Hidalgo.
The police have never arrested anyone in connection with Hidalgo’s murder.
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