Orlando, Fla. — The first day of testimony began Monday in the trial of an Orange County man accused of fatally beating his girlfriend's 16 year old daughter. Sanel Saint Simon was charged in the death of Alexandria Chery, whose body was found along a road near the Osceola-Polk County line in July 2014.
Chery's mother, Rosalie Joseph, returned home the day her daughter disappeared to find a bloody teddy bear in the girl's room with the stench of bleach.
Court records say Simon tried to make it seem that Chery ran away, and even after telling investigators that she may have moved in with friends, they said it was not true.
Investigators say Simon parked his cousin's car near his employer the day before Chery went missing. Detectives say he lied about leaving work early the day she was gone, and that he asked a relative to lie about borrowing the car.
Records show both Simon and Cherry's cellphones were found in the same place hours before the mother reported Chery missing.
Prosecutors say Simon could face the death penalty if he's convicted of first degree murder.
The case has been assigned to State Attorney Brad King due to Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala’s stance that would not pursue the death penalty. Later, she formed a committee of attorneys in her office to reveiw and recommend certains cases for capital punishment.
During the trial, both Simon and the mother required Creole interpreters.
The trial is expected to last over a week.
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