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Man indicted for capital murder of woman and her 1-year-old daughter

Posted at 5:55 PM, Nov 07, 2017
and last updated 2018-01-31 14:36:17-05

On Wednesday, a man was indicted for capital murder in connection with the deaths of a woman and her infant child.

The McLennan County Sheriff's Office arrested Christopher Weiss on Nov. 7 around 5:15 p.m. in Temple.

The sheriff said they had been looking at Weiss as a suspect since the beginning of the investigation, and deputies had his home under surveillance. Weiss is in his late 20s and is from the Waco-Bellmead area. He was living in Temple at the time. 

Deputies had gathered enough information for a capital murder warrant for his arrest. When he left his home, deputies followed him into Temple - where he was pulled over for a traffic stop.

The sheriff's office said Weiss is the father of the 1-year-old killed.

Weiss admitted to authorities that he was in a romantic relationship with the victim, Valarie Martinez until Oct. 30, according to an arrest affidavit. 

Weiss denied to authorities that he had gotten into an argument with Martinez. Weiss also denied that she was wanting or asking for child support and said that she did not want child support from him. 

A witness told officials that he saw Weiss get into an argument with Martinez before she left to meet Weiss at the lake. 

During the investigation, police interviewed another person, which the person told police that Weiss admitted to lying to authorities and said he would fail a polygraph test he originally agreed to take but later canceled. 

Another person interviewed during the investigation told police that the victim told Weiss she would make him pay child support if he was not going to be involved the baby's life. 

Another witness told police that the victim had told her she was going to go meet with her child's father at the lake and left with her 1-year-old, Azariah. 

The McLennan County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Bell County Constable and Temple Police Department in the arrest of Weiss. 

"We are so glad to get this creep off the streets," Sheriff Parnell McNamara said.

The sheriff's office was called out to the scene after receiving a 9-1-1 call from people who stumbled upon the incident on Sunday. 

Weiss has been charged with two counts of capital murder. His bond is set at $1 million and is being transported to McLennan County. 

The murder of the woman and her 1-year-old child took place at Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir. The affidavit said the two were shot in the head, the child still strapped in her car seat. The woman was found a few feet away from the car. 

"The little child was killed while still strapped in her car seat," said McNamara. "Just a very sad, very brutal, cold-blooded murder."

A Gofundmehas been set up to cover funeral expenses. 

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