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The Holy Land Theme Park Murders: 20 Facts About the Tragic Case

On the evening of 15^th July 2010, a tragic incident happened that involved two teenagers in Waterbury, Connecticut, the United States of America. 16-year-old Chloe Ottman was brutally murdered by 19-year-old Francisco Cruz. Francisco raped Chloe at the theme park before he murdered her.

Chloe and Francisco had been friends for about two years. The two friends’ families also knew each other until the day that Francisco killed Chloe. On that unfortunate Thursday afternoon, Francisco met Chloe and walked his mother home before going for drinks.

The two friends bought a malt liquor and headed out to the Holy Land Theme Park to chill out. At the theme park, they sat at the decaying religious park at 7 pm as they talked and drank their drinks. Francisco who had a crush on Chloe started making advances on her after ignoring several calls from his mother.

As he was trying to seduce Chloe, she pushed him off and hit him knocking off his glasses which angered him more. He decided to force himself on Chloe by strangling her until she passed out. He then tore her clothes off and raped her multiple times.

Chloe managed to regain consciousness again and this is when he decided to kill her by strangulation. He then stabbed her multiple times using a pocket knife he had and ended up mutilating the body. Chloe was reported missing which pushed Francisco to take officers to where he had dumped the body.

He was arrested and faced multiple charges in court. Francisco pleaded guilty to avoid a death sentence. He is currently incarcerated and serving 55 years sentence in prison. Here are the 20 Facts About the Holy Land Theme Park Murder tragic case:

1. The Murder Took Place in an Abandoned Religious Theme Park

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The murder of the 16 years old girl took place in an abandoned religious theme park in Waterbury, Connecticut. Holy Land Theme Park is inspired by selected passages from the Bible.

The park consists of a chapel, stations of the cross, and several replicas of catacombs and Israelite villages. The murder took place at a time the park was abandoned and never revamped for a very long time.

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2. A 16-year-old Girl was the Victim of the Murders

What shocked the people of Waterbury, Connecticut was that the victim of the murder was a very young girl. 16-year-old Chloe Ottman was the victim of the Holy Land Theme Park murders. She was not aware that her life was going to be ended that evening.

3. 19-year-old Francisco Cruz was the Perpetrator of the Murder

The 16-year-old Chloe Ottman was murdered by her fellow teenager. 19-year-old Francisco Cruz was the perpetrator of the Holy Land Theme Park Murder. His intentions were not to murder Chloe but it happened very fast.

4. Chloe and Francisco had been Friends for Two Years Before the Murder

The Holy Land Theme Park Murder was so cruel to the family of the victim, and the family of the perpetrator. Francisco Cruz confessed something that shocked many during his trial. He revealed that he had known Chloe Ottman for two years before he committed the murder.

5. The Two Had Walked Cruz’s Mother Home before the Murder

The afternoon before Chloe was murdered, Francisco had come across her. They left at the Brass Mill Center in the smoking area near Burlington Coat Factory. Before heading out, Chloe and Francisco had to walk his mother home.

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6. Chloe and Francisco Bought Malt Liquor & Headed to the Park

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After walking Francisco’s mother home, the two decided to get some malt liquor and chill out together. Francisco told a detective that they bought four cans of Joose malt liquor.

This liquor had ingredients like ginseng, caffeine, and fruit flavoring which could affect their judgment. They bought the liquor from a store that was at the corner of Washington Street and Baldwin Street.

7. The Pair Sat at the Base of the Cross & Talked about Chloe’s Boyfriend

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Chloe Ottman and Francisco Cruz choose to sit at the base of the cross which overlooks the city and Interstate 84. At this point, Chloe Ottman started talking about her boyfriend. On the other hand, Francisco was ignoring phone calls from his mother. If he had received the calls, the murder might not have taken place as they could have left the park.

8. Francisco became Tipsy & Started Making Advances on Chloe

As the night went by and the two friends were having their drinks, things started changing. Francisco confessed that he became tipsy from the drinks that he was having with Chloe. After getting tipsy from the malt liquor, Francisco started making advances on Chloe as he telling her that he had a crush on her.

9. Chloe Never Gave Francisco a Chance to Be Her Boyfriend

Before becoming tipsy, Francisco was listening to the stories about Chloe’s boyfriend as the night went by. But as he was tipsy and making his advances, Chloe had different ideas on her mind.

She never gave Francisco a chance to be her boyfriend even though they had known each other for two years. The obsession that Francisco had with Chloe began growing at this point.

10. Francisco Tried to Grope Chloe who Rejected Him Each Time

The advances of Francisco became physical as he wanted her to himself. He started to grope Chloe as they lay at the base of the cross in the park.

However, Chloe never gave in to what Francisco wanted from her. She kept on rejecting him each time. Francisco confessed that he wanted to touch her again the more she was rejecting his advances.

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11. Chloe Pushed & Elbowed Francisco Each Time He Forced Himself on Her

The advances from Francisco Cruz were being pushed away by Chloe who was agitated. The more he wanted her, the more she defended herself. Chloe had to push him each time and even started elbowing him. Little did they know that this situation was going to escalate to something else that could cost the life of one of them.

12. Chloe’s Rejection & Elbowing Made Francisco Strangle Her

The elbows from Chloe Ottman became too much as one of the blows knocked him in the face. His glasses fell off his face which made him more furious on her.

Francisco then decided to strangle Chloe by coiling his arms around her neck. He began squeezing the life out of Chloe out of rage. As Chloe tried to scream for help, he covered her mouth to prevent attracting attention.

13. Cruz Pushed Chloe onto the Cross’s Concrete Until She Passed Out

Francisco was serious about what he was doing to Chloe who was helpless and gasping for air. He decided to push her down onto the cross’s concrete slap.

At this point, Chloe was helpless and had given up on the fight as she was running out of oxygen. She was held for about one minute until she passed out and presented him with a nice chance of continuing with his plan.

14. Francisco Ripped Chloe’s Clothes Off & Raped Her

After passing out from the neck squeezing, Francisco got a better chance of succeeding in his mission. He checked out on the pulse of Chloe and felt her heart pumping. Francisco Cruz then ripped her clothes off and began raping her.

15. Cruz Decided to Kill Chloe after She Gasped for Air

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Francisco was having his moment when Chloe passed out. However, Chloe gasped for air as he was raping her which was a mistake that cost her life.

Francisco decided to take away the life of Chloe after she gasped for air. He believed that killing would prevent him from going to jail for raping her.

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16. Francisco Stabbed Ottman Multiple Times in the Neck

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The regaining of consciousness of Chloe Ottman made him do something that decided the fate of his life. He decided to stab Chloe and ensure that she is dead. Francisco stabbed her multiple times in the neck and murdered her.

17. He used a Pocket Knife to Mutilate her Body

Francisco reached out in his pocket for his pocket knife to commit the murder after finishing raping her. He then mutilated the body of Chloe by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck. He also twisted the blade of his knife to ensure that he cut her artery and finished her off.

18. Francisco Wrapped Her Clothing Around the Wounds to Prevent Blood from Staining the Cross Concrete

After cutting off the artery of Chloe, it was time for Francisco to conceal any evidence of his crime at the foot of the cross. He used the clothing of Chloe to wrap up the wounds on her neck to staunch the blood. Francisco did not want to stain the concrete slab through this method.

19. He Dragged & Dumped Her Body Behind a Pile of Trees

Photo by Faruk TokluoÄŸlu:

The perpetrator decided to do away with the body of his victim and wipe out some evidence from the scene. He dragged the naked body of Chloe and disposed of it without dignity. Francisco dumped the body behind a pile of trees and tossed her clothes too.

20. Francisco Confessed to the Murder, took a Plea & Avoided a Death Penalty

The parents of Chloe made reports of her missing and the police began searching for her. Her body was found and the DNA of Francisco was found all around even though he had refused to agree to have committed the murder.

During the trials, the family of Ottman accepted the request for Francisco to take a plea. He confessed to his atrocities of the brutal murder of Chloe and escaped the death sentence.

On 17^th June 2011, Francisco Cruz made the plea and was handed a sentence of 55 years in prison. He is currently incarcerated at the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Cheshire.

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