A man convicted in the first of two murder cases in Tucson involving young girls was sentenced Monday to natural life in prison.
Christopher Clements also got a 17-year prison term for kidnapping the teenage victim and it will be served consecutively with the life sentence for first-degree murder.
Clements was convicted Sept. 30 in the death of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez.
A different Pima County Superior Court jury will hear Clementsโ second trial in February involving the death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis.
After his conviction, Clements sought a new trial and a change of venue for his second murder trial, but it was denied.
Clements, a 40-year-old convicted sex offender with a long criminal record, was arrested in 2018 and indicted on 22 felony counts in the two girlsโ deaths.
Celis vanished from her parentsโ Tucson home in April 2012 while Gonzalez disappeared while walking to a friendโs house in June 2014.
Authorities said Gonzalezโs body was found days after her disappearance while Celisโ remains werenโt recovered until 2017 after Clements led federal agents to the location.
Clements currently is serving a prison term of up to 35 years for a Maricopa County burglary in 2017.
