Zane’s past as an Internet model came up at the hearing today, but her classmate, Aurelia Resa, “cut the conversation off short because I didn't feel it was anybody's business,” she said.
The body of Emily Sander, aka Zoey Zane, was found little more than a week after she disappeared during Thanksgiving weekend 2007, 50 miles east of the town of El Dorado, Kan., where she was allegedly last seen leaving a bar with a man matching Mireles’ description, according to witness testimony.
The bar’s bouncer testified in court today that he saw Mireles and Sander leave together as did a community college classmate of Sander’s who identified Mireles in court as the man Sander left with.
The suspect, who fled and was extradited from Mexico, had been living in a local motel, where the hotel owner discovered Mireles’ room had been in a shambles and had evidence of blood spatter.
The story was widely publicized in the national press after it was discovered that the 18-year old Sander had briefly appeared on adult websites, including her own solo girl site.
Mireles faces life in prison without parole — but not the death penalty — because his extradition terms forbid it. The trial is expected to begin Nov. 2.