Mistress describes relationship with Essa as "friends with benefits"

Marguerita Montanez had been friends with the Essa brothers since the mid-1990s. In 2000, she became a full-time employee for their TV satellite business, but she was more than an employee. Montanez babysat Firas Essa’s children, ran personal errands for the family and was Yazeed Essa’s on-again, off-again lover.

“We dated,” said Montanez, who described the relationship as “friends with benefits.” They saw other people and were not exclusive to one another.

The defense painted a different picture of their relationship. It described her as a jilted lover who was “fixated on Yazeed Essa” and could not let go even when they married their respective spouses. Defense Attorney Steven Bradley said Montanez was so disappointed when she learned Yazeed planned to marry someone else that she scheduled her own wedding to take place on the same day, September 11, 1999.

Montanez admitted that during a crisis in her marriage in 2001, she rekindled her romance with Dr. Essa.

“It wasn’t a love affair,” she said. “We weren’t waiting by the phone for each other to call.”

“There’s a suggestion that you were crazed, head over heels,” said prosecutor A. Steven Dever.

“No I’ve never been crazed, head over heels, never.”

“…that you wanted to be the next Mrs. Essa,” Dever continued.

“I was already a Mrs. Somebody. I didn’t want to be anybody else’s somebody,” replied Montanez.
The defense argued Montanez was upset when she learned Essa had taken another lover, violating a promise she and Essa made to only cheat on their spouses with one another.

“There was never any pact,” said Montanez.

The defense suggested the investigation into Rosemarie’s death was not so thorough as to totally eliminate Montanez as a suspect. She was a trusted employee with access to Essa’s home and was there when police came to collect the calcium pills. Montanez was asked to recall the incident and Essa’s reaction after the police left.

“He kind of flipped out,” she said. “He was cussing and upset that they (police) were asking him questions.”

His behavior frightened Montanez. Essa retired to his room and stayed there until his brother arrived. Montanez said the two remained behind closed doors. She found the behavior mysterious and frightening.

“What were you frightened of?” asked prosecutor Dever.

“I was afraid that Yaz hurt Rosie,” she said. “I just thought, ‘Why is he being so defensive if he didn’t do anything wrong?’”

“Did you kill Rosemarie Essa,” asked Dever.

“No, no I did not,” Montanez said.

Montanez said she was never a suspect in Rosemarie’s death until the defense made the suggestion during its opening statement at the murder trial. That was also about the same time her husband learned she’d cheated on him with the defendant.