Man wrongfully arrested in 1988 murder on $1M settlement: ‘Money means nothing’
by: Sarah Doiron, Hannah Cotter
CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (WPRI) — It’s been more than five years since Joao Monteiro was wrongfully arrested for the murder of Christine Cole.
Since then, the 64-year-old said he’s lost his job, his house and his dignity.
“I am innocent,” said Monteiro, translated from Cape Verdean Creole by his sister Rita Correia. “I’ve never committed a murder.”
Monteiro was arrested in 2019 and charged in connection with Cole’s death. Cole went missing after she left her West Avenue home to pick up groceries in January 1988. Her body was found nearly two months later on the beach at Conimicut Point Park in Warwick.
Investigators claimed DNA evidence led them to Monteiro, who lived in the apartment above the market where Cole was last seen.
But the charges against Monteiro were dropped seven months later after the DNA evidence was found to be too broad and did not specifically point to Monteiro as the killer.
Monteiro filed a lawsuit two years ago, arguing that the evidence was fabricated and suppressed in an attempt to solve the decades-old cold case. The lawsuit claimed Monteiro was arrested without probable cause, deprived of his constitutional rights, falsely imprisoned and slandered.
Pawtucket and the others named in the lawsuit were dealt a blow last year when U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy opted not to dismiss the case, ruling there was enough evidence for a jury to decide the outcome.
In her decision, McElroy found critical information was omitted from Monteiro’s arrest warrant, which a jury could find was motivated by “ill will” and not “a neutral desire to discern facts.”
Though Monteiro agreed to a $1 million settlement late last month, just days before the case was set to go to trial, he believes that will never be enough to reverse the damage that’s been done to his reputation.
“Money means nothing,” he said. “They destroyed my life.”
Monteiro told 12 News that he frequently speaks with a counselor, since he struggles to leave the house and is worried for his safety.
“Everywhere I used to go, people would point their fingers at me and call me a criminal,” Monteiro said. “I wasn’t sleeping, but now I’m sleeping OK. The only thing I’m not doing — I don’t go out. But eventually in the future, I will start going out.”
Despite the hardships he’s facing, Monteiro hopes that Cole’s family will eventually get the justice they deserve.
“I pray for them every day,” Monteiro said, referring to Cole’s family. “I pray for her every night and morning — and for them to find [the person] who killed her.”