Collin County

Surveillance Video Played, Friends Testify About Night Christina Morris Went Missing

The third day of the trial of Enrique Arochi, accused of kidnapping a Plano woman, began Friday morning.

Christina Morris was last seen leaving the Shops of Legacy in Plano August of 2014. Surveillance video captured her and Arochi walking into a parking garage.

Prosecutors on Friday continued calling all the friends who were with Morris and Arochi the night Morris went missing, including Morris' close friend Steven Nickerson, who was the last person to talk her on the phone before she disappeared.

Nickerson testified that Morris was upset when she received a text message from her boyfriend, Hunter Foster, with whom she had been fighting. Nickerson said he tried to convince Morris not to leave, but she refused.

Arochi decided to leave too and walked out with Morris. Nickerson testified, as others have, that Morris would never walk alone after dark.

Nickerson said he called Morris to ensure she made it to her car. She didn't answer, but called right back to say she was almost to her car and would call again when she got in. Nickerson said she never called back and every time he called her after that, her phone went straight to her voicemail.

Nickerson testified that he didn't hear any fear in Morris' voice when they spoke on the phone while she was walking with Arochi. The defense prompted him, saying he would have "flown on the wings of eagles to that parking garage" if he heard anything wrong in Morris' voice. Nickerson agreed.

Nickerson and other friends testified that they didn't notice anything unusual about Arochi's behavior the night Morris went missing. They also all said they don't remember seeing cuts on Arochi's hands, which were there the next day, or damage to his car, which also appeared the next day.

The jury heard more testimony about that damage to Arochi's car in the afternoon. Prosecutors played surveillance video that shows a dark Camaro leaving the Shops at Legacy Parking Garage.

An IT specialist with the Plano Police department testified there's an "anomaly" visible on the car that could be consistent with damage that was later discovered on Arochi's car. But he said the video quality was too poor to be sure.

It's also not clear if Morris is in that car as it pulls out of the garage.

The jury also saw surveillance video showing Morris and Arochi walking into the parking garage together. It's the last time Morris was seen.

The defense objected to the surveillance video being submitted as evidence because it's a copy. But the judge allowed it anyway.

Finally, Morris' ex-boyfriend Logan Prendergast testified about his breakup with Morris. He said it was difficult, partly because Morris very quickly started dating Hunter Foster, who had been Prendergast's best friend.

Prendergast said that he never saw Foster on the night in question. Several witnesses have testified that Foster texted Morris to tell her he was with Prendergrast, which upset her.

Contact Us