This beautiful three year old was brutally raped and murdered by offender Edgar Concepcion in Charles City, Iowa, in 2009. She was found suffocated, murdered, by her cousin. The offender was certified by the court to stand trial as an adult given his record.
and well cared for at her brother’s home in Charles City while she
and her husband, Rene, went to work at the Armour-Eckrich plant in
Mason City.
But about a month into the arrangement, her 3-year-old daughter
Krystel was sexually assaulted and murdered allegedly at the hands
of Edvilla’s 15-year-old nephew, Edgar Concepcion Jr.
Banes was the first witness in the Charles City teen’s murder trial
in Hamilton County District Court in Webster City.
Testimony continues Thursday. Iowa Department of Criminal
Investigation agents Jon Turbett and Mike Krapfl are expected to
testify. Testimony about DNA evidence is also expected.
Concepcion is facing five charges including one count of
first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, one
count of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of child
endangerment in connection with Krystel’s July 10, 2009
death.
Fighting back tears, Banes explained how she and her husband and
their 9-year-old son Banjo came to the United States looking for a
better life. The couple worked a series of factory jobs.
At the end of May 2009, Banes was called back to work after being
laid off for eight months.
She went to her brother Edgar Concepcion Sr. and asked if his son
Edgar Jr. might be interested in watching the children while she
and her husband were at work.
Edgar agreed and was paid $60 a week.
Things appeared to be fine until two days before Krystel’s death
when Banes discovered a bruise which appeared to be a bite mark on
the little girl’s abdomen.
She and her husband couldn’t get any satisfactory explanation from
anyone in the Concepcion family about the injury and decided to
find other child care for the children.
Friday, July 10, was to have been the last day the children would
be in Edgar Jr’s care.
In later testimony on Wednesday, Rene Banes said he would pick the
children up late in the night — sometimes as late as 2 p.m. — and
would find Krystel on a basement couch sleeping next to Edgar Jr.
When she was picked up, she would whimper and cry.
Also testifying Wednesday was Charles City police officer William
Vetter and American Medical Response paramedic Dawn Staudt of
Charles City, who was first on the scene of the alleged
murder.
In opening statements, Iowa Assistant Attorney General Becky
Goettsch painted a picture for the jury of a little house in
Charles City filled with children.
“From the street it looks like a happy little place,” Goettsch
said.
She then proceeded to describe a dark basement where Concepcion
allegedly abused the girl and then killed her.
