Man Out on Bond for Allegedly Raping Stepdaughter Kills Her, Then Dies by Suicide

Juliano Santana, 49, was awaiting trial on charges he repeatedly raped his 16-year-old stepdaughter, who prosecutors say he killed last week before dying by suicide

A Massachusetts man who was arrested in 2021 on allegations he repeatedly raped his teenage stepdaughter killed her last week while out on bond and then died by suicide, authorities said.

Investigators believe Juliano Santana, 49, kidnapped his 16-year-old stepdaughter as she was walking near her Acton, Mass., home after school on May 30, according to a press release shared by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. He then fatally shot her before turning the gun on himself.

Officers responded to a parking lot outside the girl’s home around 4 p.m. that day to find Santana and the girl dead from apparent gunshot wounds in his vehicle, per the release.

According to the district attorney’s office, Santana was charged in September 2021 with six counts of aggravated rape of a child, and the teen he killed was also the victim in the prior case. He was released after posting a $30,000 bond with conditions that he be placed on a GPS monitoring device and have no unsupervised contact with the teen or anyone under 18.

The victim also had an active restraining order against Santana, the D.A.’s office said. The trial in that case was scheduled for July 29.

After police became aware of the kidnapping, they contacted Santana’s probation officer, who was able to determine his location based on his GPS monitoring device, the release states.

A GoFundMe campaign created to help the victim’s family with funeral expenses identified her only as Christina. Authorities have not publicly released the victim’s name.

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“There are no right words to express this tragedy and never will be,” fundraiser organizer Natalia De wrote. “We are heartbroken to share the devastating news of the tragic and untimely death of our beloved Christina."

De continued, "At just 16 years old, Christina's life was taken from her family in an unthinkable act of violence at the hands of her stepfather. The whole community is shattered, and we are all struggling to cope with the overwhelming grief and trauma.”

De went on to describe Christina on the fundraising page as someone who was “full of life,” excelled at science, and hoped to go to college one day.

“Christina's loss leaves a void that can never be filled,” De wrote.

Authorities said the investigation into the murder-suicide remains ongoing.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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