Maria Theresa Santos, a 44-year-old woman of Filipino descent, was last seen on October 15, 2004, in Los Angeles, California. She was seen at approximately 6:00 a.m. leaving her residence in the 900 block of South Serrano Avenue to take a bus to her job in Beverly Hills. At the time, she and her young daughter had been temporarily staying with her boyfriend.
Described as a devoted and responsible mother, her family stated that it was uncharacteristic of her to leave without any warning or contact, especially concerning her daughter. When she failed to return home from work, her boyfriend became concerned. Maria Theresa Santos was never heard from again.
Years later, a significant development occurred in the case. In May 2010, Aurangzeb Aiyoob "Simon" Manjra, who had been Santos's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, was charged with her murder. The investigation into Santos's case was connected to another missing person case from 1996 involving Esperanza "Espy" Torio, another woman Manjra had dated. Torio's dismembered remains were discovered in Mexico shortly after she vanished, but they were not identified until 2009. This breakthrough in the Torio case led investigators to re-examine Santos's disappearance and ultimately charge Manjra with both murders.
In December 2013, Aurangzeb "Simon" Manjra entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to the second-degree murder of Maria Theresa Santos and the first-degree murder of Esperanza Torio. This plea deal resulted in a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Had he been convicted on the original charges, he would have faced the possibility of life in prison without parole. Despite the conviction, the body of Maria Theresa Santos has never been recovered. Foul play was long suspected in her disappearance due to the circumstances involved. The Los Angeles Police Department investigated her case.Last Seen: Oct 15, 2004
