EXCLUSIVE: Woman acquitted of all charges in the murders of two valley friends shares her story
The pursuit of justice continues over seven years after the disappearance of two friends in the Coachella Valley.
Jonathan Reynoso and Audrey Moran disappeared on May 10, 2017.
Click here for complete coverage on this case
In November, Adilene Castaneda was acquitted of all charges against her.
Her co-defendant, Aaron Bernal, was acquitted of murder while being convicted of being an accessory after the fact.
Castaneda shared her story with News Chanel 3’s John White in an exclusive interview.
“When I was waiting for the verdict, I just I felt like I was numb,” Castaneda said.
She was released the night of the verdict after spending nearly five years in jail.
She says she knew Moran from school and had only met Reynoso one time at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival.
In 2020, six people were arrested in the case, including Castaneda.
One of them, Manuel Rios, who still faces a murder trial in the case, is the father of her son.
"I feel like the only reason why they were, just pressured me so much was because of who I was choosing to be with,” Castaneda explained about her relationship with Rios.
In 2020, Authorities said Reynoso was killed over a drug deal and then Moran, who witnessed it, was also killed.
Castaneda was tried with Aaron Bernal who was acquitted of murder but convicted of accessory after the fact.
In 2018, a News Channel 3 I-Team Investigation led to a home where Bernal lived in Coachella where a search warrant had been served.
We also reported on Bernal’s car that had been found burned in an apparent arson fire just days after Reynoso and Moran disappeared.
On the day of the verdict, David Kenner, Bernal’s defense attorney said, “The people could not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt and it kind of renews your faith in the justice system because it was the appropriate result.
Castaneda says she wasn’t there for anything that happened to Reynoso or Moran.
She does admit to learning about it later.
“I just knew of what had happened about the drug deal gone wrong,” Castaneda says.
She’s very grateful for her attorney, Bosky Kathuria who was there the night she was released from jail.
Kathuria said, “Innocent people like Adeline can be falsely accused of a crime just because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong guy.”
“In my belief, that's what happened in this case, and I believe that's the way the jury saw it too," Kathuria said.
He argues she was in a very difficult position.
"In this case, if she were to tell, if she were to rat on the accused, her life would have been in danger," Kathuria said.
Castaneda says she's now working to rebuild her life.
"Like I said, focus on my son and just trying to build a relationship with him. I can never make up for that time lost but it's never too late to start a relationship with him," Castaneda said.
The prosecuting attorney was not available for comment with two additional murder trials still remaining in this case.
For more on the acquittal in the case, watch our report below:
