Stalking Obsession Turns Fatal After Govt. Fails To Protect Her: The Case of Celeste Manno

Summary

True Crime with Kendall Rae: Summary of "Stalking Obsession Turns Fatal After Govt. Fails To Protect Her: The Case of Celeste Manno"

Podcast Information:

• Title: True Crime with Kendall Rae
• Host/Author: Mile Higher Media & Audioboom Studios
• Episode: Stalking Obsession Turns Fatal After Govt. Fails To Protect Her: The Case of Celeste Manno
• Release Date: December 5, 2024

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1. Introduction to the Case

In this heart-wrenching episode, Kendall Rae delves deep into the tragic story of Celeste Mano, a young Australian woman whose life was brutally taken by a stalker named Luay Sako. Kendall emphasizes the systemic failures that not only led to Celeste's murder but also hindered her family's pursuit of justice.

Kendall Ray [02:21]: "This case absolutely needs to be talked about more... These failures that led up to Celeste's murder absolutely could have prevented this from happening."

2. Who Was Celeste Mano?

Celeste Mano, born on November 22, 1996, was described as the embodiment of light and love. From a young age, Celeste was known for her kindness, inclusivity, and strong desire to make a difference in others' lives. She aspired to become a psychologist and was deeply committed to helping others.

• Family Background:
  • Parents: Aggie and Tony Mano
  • Siblings: Brother Alessandro and older half-brother Jaden

Celeste was studying criminology and psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and worked at a call center for Circo Group for two and a half years.

3. The Onset of Stalking and Harassment

In June 2019, Luay Sako was fired from Circo Group due to performance issues. As the team leader, Celeste was responsible for escorting him out of the building. This brief interaction marked the beginning of a terrifying ordeal.

• Initial Contact:
  • Luay's Behavior: After being fired, Luay approached Celeste, gave her an unwanted kiss on the cheek, and began sending her alarming messages on Instagram.

Kendall Ray [12:45]: "He sent 140 Instagram DMs... professing his undying love for her and obsession with her."

Despite Celeste's polite rejections and attempts to set boundaries, Luay's harassment intensified, leaving Celeste and her family in constant fear.

4. Reporting to the Police: A Systemic Failure

In December 2019, following escalating threats and offenses, Celeste and Aggie went to the MDA police station to report Luay's stalking behavior. Shockingly, the response was dismissive.

Kendall Ray [19:30]: "They were told that since no crime was committed, nothing could be done."

The police advised them to ignore Luay, a recommendation that proved disastrously ineffective. Over the next six months, Luay's stalking became more aggressive, leading to workplace measures like escorting Celeste to her car.

5. Legal Actions and Temporary Safety

By July 2020, the situation had become unbearable. Celeste and Aggie sought a Personal Safety Intervention Order (PSIO) from the Heidelberg Magistrates Court, which was briefly effective. However, Luay breached the order multiple times, escalating the threat further.

Aggie Mano [25:29]: "Celeste, the ball is in your court. Only you can end this now."
— Sent by Luay, illustrating his disregard for boundaries

Despite breaking the PSIO, Luay's actions continued unchecked until his tragic intent culminated in Celeste's murder on November 16, 2020.

6. The Murder of Celeste Mano

On the night of November 15, 2020, Celeste posted a photo with her new boyfriend, Chris. Unbeknownst to her, this act triggered Luay's deadly obsession. Hours later, at approximately 3:50 AM, Luay attacked Celeste in her home, stabbing her 23 times. The entire ordeal lasted less than three minutes, as evidenced by neighbor CCTV footage.

• Witness Testimonies:
  • Tony Mano [34:40]: "It was like a million pieces of glass just crashing... I didn't want to drop her on all that."

Luay immediately turned himself in, expressing regret and claiming voices in his head compelled him to commit the murder.

7. Legal Proceedings and the Quest for Justice

Luay Sako's defense centered on mental impairment, claiming psychosis influenced his actions. Despite multiple psychiatric evaluations, most professionals doubted his claims, stating he was feigning symptoms.

• Prosecution's Stance:
  The prosecution argued that Luay meticulously planned the murder and posed a high risk of reoffending, advocating for a life sentence.

• Defense's Argument:
  Emphasized Luay's mental health issues to seek a lighter sentence.

8. The Trial and Sentence

Originally set for May 2023, the trial faced multiple delays due to Luay's apparent instability and changes in legal representation. In January 2024, the hearing concluded with Judge Jane Dixon sentencing Luay to 36 years in prison with parole eligibility after 30 years.

Kendall Ray [52:08]: "Her daughter's killer, Luay Sako, sentenced to 36 years behind bars. I consider that your offending does not warrant life imprisonment, although it does warrant a very stern sentence."

The family and supporters were devastated, feeling that the sentence was insufficient given the severity and premeditation of the crime.

9. Aftermath and Ongoing Struggle for Justice

Celeste's family continues to grapple with their loss and the inadequate legal response. Aggie Mano leads a relentless campaign for systemic change, advocating for:

• Stricter Laws:
  Mandatory life sentences for all murders to prevent recidivism.

• Enhanced Protections:
  Implementing measures like ankle bracelets for those under PSIO to alert families and authorities of potential threats.

• Victim Support:
  Improving legal aid and support systems for victims of stalking and harassment.

Despite a comprehensive report by the Victorian Law Reform Commission with 46 recommendations, little to no action has been taken to implement these changes, leaving Celeste's family and other victims without necessary protections.

10. The Family's Call to Action

Kendall Rae passionately urges listeners to support the Mano family's fight for justice by:

• Sign Petitions:
  Support the "Justice for Celeste" petition on Change.org.

• Contact Authorities:
  Email Victoria's Attorney General, Jacqueline Symes, demanding the implementation of recommended legal reforms.

• Attend Rallies:
  Join or support rallies organized in Melbourne advocating for stricter violence prevention laws.

Kendall Ray [52:33]: "Action needs to be taken and it needs to happen now. For Celeste's sake and the future safety of other people, we need to."

11. Conclusion

The tragic case of Celeste Mano underscores significant gaps in the protection systems for stalking victims. Despite Celeste's family's unwavering determination, systemic inertia has hindered meaningful change. Kendall Rae effectively highlights the need for urgent reforms to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future.

Key Takeaways:

• Systemic Failure:
  Inadequate police response and legal protections allowed Luay's obsession to escalate unchecked.

• Family's Resilience:
  Aggie Mano's relentless pursuit of justice serves as a beacon for other victims seeking change.

• Call for Reform:
  The episode emphasizes the urgent need for stronger laws and better support systems for victims of stalking and harassment.

Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps

• Kendall Ray [02:21]:
  "This case absolutely needs to be talked about more... These failures that led up to Celeste's murder absolutely could have prevented this from happening."

• Aggie Mano [25:29]:
  "Celeste, the ball is in your court. Only you can end this now."

• Tony Mano [34:40]:
  "It was like a million pieces of glass just crashing... I didn't want to drop her on all that."

• Kendall Ray [52:08]:
  "Her daughter's killer, Luay Sako, sentenced to 36 years behind bars. I consider that your offending does not warrant life imprisonment, although it does warrant a very stern sentence."

• Kendall Ray [52:33]:
  "Action needs to be taken and it needs to happen now. For Celeste's sake and the future safety of other people, we need to."

Supporting Resources

• Higher Hope Foundation:
  higherhope.org – Support victims of violent crime.

• Justice for Celeste Petition:
  Change.org Petition Link – Sign to demand justice and systemic change.

• Victorian Law Reform Commission Report:
  Link to Report – Comprehensive recommendations to address legal system gaps.

• Support and Follow the Family's Efforts:

  • Facebook Page: Link
  • Petition on Change.org: Link

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Final Thoughts

Celeste Mano's story is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the critical need for robust protections against stalking and harassment. Kendall Rae's detailed exploration not only honors Celeste's memory but also galvanizes listeners to advocate for meaningful change, ensuring that no other family has to endure similar heartbreak due to systemic failures.

Transcript

[Kendall Ray]

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[Josh]

Lights are going up. Snow is falling down. There's a feeling of goodwill around town. It could only mean one thing. McRib is here. People throwing parties, ugly sweaters everywhere. Stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only mean one thing. At participating McDonald's for a limited time.

[Kendall Ray]

Hey, everyone, and happy holidays.

[Aggie Mano]

It's Kendall and Josh from Malharmedia.

[Kendall Ray]

And as many of you guys know, we just recently launched our foundation, the Higher Hope Foundation. And now we are about to launch our annual matching program for the holiday season. So it's a great time to get involved, to give back because your gift can go twice as far.

[Aggie Mano]

Thanks to all of your support thus far, we've already awarded several grants, we have several more in process, and we've got several exciting projects coming in 2025.

[Kendall Ray]

So if you are interested in getting involved and allowing us to do even more projects in the future, it is easier than ever to make a donation. You can do it right on our website, which is hirehope.org and we've launched a new feature where you can create your own fundraiser and you can access that by going to the Get Involved tab on our website.

[Aggie Mano]

So if you want your gift to be doubled Right now through December 27th, Mile Hire Media will be matching all gifts.

[Kendall Ray]

And just As a reminder, 100% of your donations will go directly towards impacting victims of violent crime.

[Aggie Mano]

We just want to say a huge thank you in advance to everyone out there for all of your support, your generosity and there's lots of other ways to help support the foundation if you're not able to give a gift. Just sharing our campaigns, the work that we're doing just helps get the word out and, you know, helps us further our mission.

[Kendall Ray]

Yeah, truly, because of all of your support, many people are getting the vital services and help that they need and we're very, very grateful for your continued support. So thank you. Hello everyone and welcome back to True Crime with Kendall Ray. Thank you so much for joining me today and if you are new, then welcome. So, guys, today I've got to just. Talia, this is one of those cases that just truly makes me want to scream because of the failures that took place and led to the murder of a young woman from Australia, Celeste Mano. Now, this case absolutely needs to be talked about more. I became aware of it after her mom has been really pushing for more awareness around those failures that led to her daughter's murder. These failures that led up to Celeste's murder absolutely could have prevented this from happening. And there are also serious failures that have occurred after her death that could deter this from happening again. But action from the government just isn't being taken. Now, I've covered a few Australian cases over the years here and then also on my other podcast, Mile Higher. So I had some idea of how murder was prosecuted in Australia, but this case really opened my eyes even further about how much really needs to change and really just how broken justice systems are throughout most of the world. And that's why her family, especially her mom, is really leaning into trying to create that awareness and hopefully make some change. And they truly need as much support as possible. So I'm hoping that by sharing her story with you today, we can really show up for this family and do what we can to help them. So let's start out the way that I always do by telling you a little bit about who Celeste Mano was. She was born on November 22, 1996, to her parents, Aggie and Tony. And they say that from the moment she was born, she became the embodiment of light and love. From a young age, she was very, very playful, very loving. And at four and a half years old, she became a big sister to her brother, Alessandro. She also had an older half brother, Jaden. And her family had always been one of the most important parts of her life. And if you were someone who had the pleasure of knowing Celeste while she was alive, you were one of the lucky ones. Everything I've read about her, everything I have heard said about her in interviews, really makes me believe that she was a very kind, very intelligent, very loving person in all aspects of her life. From a young age, she was someone who had already developed a really strong sense of kindness, of inclusivity. Like she was one of those kids who would take note when someone else felt left out in the group and would make the extra effort to make them feel included. And it really was her dream in life to make a difference in the lives of others. And she was planning to do so by Becoming a psychologist, which was actually one of her many career aspirations. She studied criminology and psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. And she was really fueled by her dedication towards helping others. People who knew her describe her as someone who really had a zest for life and was capable of finding joy in even the little everyday moments. And I don't think there's really any denying about how big of a loss this has been to her loved ones. And because of that, they are determined to help keep her light shining through it all. And it's really mind blowing that four years after Celeste was murdered, her family is still fighting for justice in a lot of ways. So let's talk about what happened and also talk about how preventable this actually was, which is why it just gets so mad talking about cases like this, because this could have been completely avoidable. So going back to 2019, Celeste was 23 years old, just really starting out her life. And for the last two and a half years of her life, she had been working at a call center for the company Circo Group. Her mom, Aggie, says that Celeste got a job there to get some real world experience. And before her death, she was enrolling into her last honors year. And it was there at work that Celeste ended up meeting the man who would end up taking her life in such a brutal, horrific way and for literally no reason. And before we get into all of that, there are two things that I want to say. One being that in this case, there has been a lot of reporting that has been inaccurate and, quite frankly, damaging. And a lot of that has had to do with the fact that it has been made to look like Celeste had some type of relationship with her killer, or even that they were acquaintances, which they really were. Not at all. I'll explain why that is so inaccurate here in a second. But the second thing that I wanted to say is that for a long time, and I believe even still now, most of the time, her mother refers to her killer as a beast or the beast. And I completely understand why she does that. Obviously, I need to share with you his name. And she does use his name a bit as well now, too. But there's a reason why she went with the beast or beast. And the reason that she chose that term specifically is because he had actually referred to himself as a beast in one of the messages that he had sent Celeste. And it was in a much different context, but it's been kind of a way for her to take that word back and use it against him. Like, I Said, for the sake of you guys understanding everything that happened and knowing who was responsible for this by name, I'm going to give you his name today. And I think Celeste's family would completely understand why. However, I am going to take a page from her book and call him a beast quite a bit of the time. And not just a beast, a monster. Because that is what this guy truly is. He is a. I don't even know if I have words for him. He's just beyond evil. And something is truly wrong with this man. Now, this utter piece of sorry excuse for a human being beast is named Lou seiko. And in 2019, while Celeste was working at this call center, he was working there as well. He got a job there in April of 2018, but in June of 2019, he was fired because of performance, performance related issues. And like I said earlier, it's not even fair to refer to the Beast as an acquaintance of Celeste. He absolutely was not. And it wasn't until that day that he was fired that she really had any interaction with him. And it was because she was the team leader. And when he was fired, she was tasked with just walking him to the door of the building. And, you know, it's been actually reported in some places that she had walked him all the way to his car, which is definitely not the case. And because Celeste was a nice person, she did what any nice person would do in a situation like that. As he was, you know, being shooed out of the building. She gave him a handshake, she offered a handshake, she said, you know, good luck. Something along those lines. Very, very normal, right? And this fucking weirdo reaches out and gives her a kiss on the cheek. And she was so, you know, confused why you would do something like that. It's obviously an extremely strange thing to do. She even told her mom that she was embarrassed by that. It obviously made her uncomfortable, but she thought, okay, weirdo, how'd you go? Hopefully I never see you again. And not knowing how dangerous this man was, Aggie told Celeste that maybe she was being a bit dramatic and that he probably just had a crush on her that she never knew about. Which obviously now in hindsight, she sees everything completely differently. But she thought in that moment, you know, that was weird, but at least he's gone. You'll probably never see this person again. Or at least that's what she thought. But then, about a week after he was fired, Celeste received the first of what would end up being 140 Instagram DMS from this beast. And in those early months, the messages were primarily love letters saying how crazy in love he was with her, how he couldn't function without her, how he couldn't hold a job because of how much he loves her, which is obviously, honestly, really disturbing, bizarre things to be sending someone who you literally do not know in any capacity. There was no relationship there whatsoever. But despite the fact that Celeste absolutely never showed any interest in him in return, never reciprocated any of his emotions, his feelings, whatever he was saying, there was no interest in him coming from her in any way, he did not stop. And she actually told him a handful of times, very politely, that she wasn't interested in him, that she was uncomfortable with these messages and to please just leave her alone. But he wouldn't. And here's an example of one of her messages to him. Hi, Luay. Those are really sweet words and I appreciate you saying all of that to me. I'm a bit surprised to read this, as this is all new to me. As much as I appreciate this, I only feel in a professional way towards you, and I wish you all of the best in your new job and journey. But when that didn't deter him and he continued to send her these creepy, disturbing messages, she decides to block him like most people would do, right? And she thought that that would be enough for him to get the hint to leave her alone, but it didn't. In fact, every time she would block him, he would just make a new account and continue to send her the same neurotic messages. Now, unfortunately, at this point in time, and I don't know if they ever will be, a lot of these messages aren't available to the public, and I completely see why. But here is one of the messages that has been released so you can get an idea of how disturbing they really were. He says, I'm so infatuated with you and it's now becoming unhealthy. I know my words don't help me. I'm sorry for coming on so strong, Celeste. I'm just another rival for your affection. I am truly sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. I really just wanted to speak with you, and I honestly thought you were ignoring me. My impression of you has been changed. You are no different than the majority of women. I'll remember you in this lesson for all my life. And I will devote every ounce of energy I have to climbing up and proving to the world that I'm somebody. That is my promise to you and my final contact with you. But as I'm sure you can guess that was not his final contact with her. And I just have to point out again that these messages are even more bizarre and creepy when you think about the fact that they had zero type of friendship, relationship, acquaintanceship, anything, anything. She literally just walked this dude to the door when he was fired. That's it. And he becomes this obsessed with her. And of course this kind of thing does happen to women. There are men like this out there. There are people who become stalkers. And it's not just men, of course. You know, a lot of you, I'm sure, have seen baby reindeer and have heard other stories of men being stalked by women as well, but it is statistically overwhelmingly men Attention people. It is officially cozy season. Every year when it starts to get cold I like to treat myself to a nice new set of pajamas. And this year I also treated myself to a new robe and I got them both from skims. And I have become such a huge fan of skims. 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That's storyworth.com Kendall Ray to save dollars on your first purchase. But yeah, that message was definitely not his final contact with her. He continues to send her DM after dm, just professing his undying love for her and obsession with her. And he's basically just doing this to a blank screen the majority of time because that's how little Celeste was engaging with it. And a few times that she did respond, she was such a kind person that she tried to set these boundaries and get him to stop in a very polite way. And Aggie, her mother on the other hand, was so pissed off by how he was acting towards her. And these messages, as any mother would be Aggie, Celeste and Alessandro, her brother, were all living together at this time, so she was very aware of everything that was going on with the situation, all of these messages, and she didn't think that being polite was the best way to deal with them. There were even times where she would message him in all caps, basically screaming, screaming at him to leave her daughter alone and he wouldn't. He would not stop. And in fact, the messages became more and more deranged over time. And from July to about December, from my understanding, they were just hoping that one day he would just give up and go away, that maybe her lack of responding and constant blocking of every account he would make would just make him stop. But in December, it was clear that this guy, this beast, was never going to stop. That month, his messages went from love letters and poetry to extremely sexually explicit and almost angry and desperate. And this new, quite frankly, scary, shift in his tone was really starting to worry them, and especially Aggie. Aggie felt like this was a sign that things were escalating to a dangerous level and that they need to get help involved. So Aggie convinces Celeste that they need to go and make a report on this guy. They need to get some other people involved here who can hopefully help. Hopefully being the key word here. But at first, Celeste didn't want to do it, quite frankly, and that's because she's just such a kind person. She was worried that if they escalated this further, that he would potentially hurt himself. And that just tells you everything that you need to know about the type of person that she was. That even for this person who she doesn't know, who is being so inappropriate, who's beyond creepy scary, she is still concerned that maybe reporting this will negatively affect him. And she doesn't want anyone to feel pain or to hurt themselves. And of course, she knew how unstable he clearly was. So I can see where she was coming from with that. That's not to say that if you were in that situation, you should think like that. Protecting yourself is always the number one priority. And when someone has crossed a line like that and you feel like you are in danger, it is always good to go and make that report. But here she was a victim of clear harassment and she was worried about how reporting him would affect him. It makes me so sad thinking about what a kind soul she truly was to have thoughts like that. And of course, she had no idea what this man was capable of, truly. But the fact of the matter was he was crossing lines here. He was making her feel uncomfortable in a big way, and it needed to stop. So about six months after it all started, she and her mom went to the police, which leads me to the first of many failures. And that's why I feel conflicted telling people, you know, if you're in this situation, go and report it. And I stand by that. I think you should, but I. It's frustrating that many people who do try and report things or go get help don't end up getting that help, but the two of them end up going to the police. They went to the MDA police station and they were told by an officer to just ignore him. That's right. That's all they had to say, just ignore him. Which obviously that is what Celeste had already been doing. And she's taking it a step further than that. She's blocking him. And he continues to make these accounts and continues to message her anyway. And when they tried to explain that, they were told, well, that's really just the nature of social media. And if you don't like it, then you just shouldn't be on it. Yeah, yep, that's really what they told them. And it's ridiculous because that is not the nature of social media. Yes, those things happen on social media, but that's not how it should be. That's not how it should be handled if it happens. And it should not be accepted as the norm. And whoever that person was that told them that, I really, really hope that they were reprimanded in some way or at least got some type of training for moving forward, but I couldn't find anything that said that. And I. I honestly doubt that they were. And what's even crazier is that at no point during this interaction with the officer did they ever even write down Luay's name or do anything to show that they wanted to help. Celeste and Aggie were even told that since no crime was committed, nothing could be done. But a crime was committed. And I'm not talking about her murder. I'm talking about harassment on social media. Online harassment is a crime in Australia, but clearly not a crime that the government cares enough about to protect people against it. And we haven't even yet really gotten into the true stalking element of all of this. And it turns out that this monster full on stalked Celeste, and because that officer refused to help her, refused to recognize the seriousness of the situation and the threat that Luay posed, the next six months were filled with more of the same. This beast would legit park outside of her work and wait for her. And it got so bad that her job had to implement a system where people would walk to her car with her and here's law enforcement telling her that a crime hasn't been committed. Outrageous. By the time July of 2020 rolled around, enough was enough. Luay was clearly not going to stop, and it was impacting every facet of Celeste's life. And she was truly living in fear. There was one new positive thing in her life at this point, and that was a new boyfriend, a wonderful man named Chris, who she had met through work and was really starting to build a great relationship with. They had actually been friends for a long time, and she wasn't always sure if she wanted a relationship with him or not. But not long before her murder, they did begin dating. And he was really good to her throughout all of this. But there was no denying that the situation with the beast was. Was beyond hard on her. No matter how much support that she had from loved ones, it was clear that legal action needed to be taken. So on July 1, her and her mom went back to the police station and laid it all out on the table. They explained everything, they pulled up the messages, they made sure that a proper report was filed. And thankfully this time it was. And it even went a step further than that. On July 3, Celeste and Aggie went to the Heidelberg Magistrates Court and they were granted an Interim Personal Safety Intervention Order, also known as a psio. And a PSIO seeks to protect a person from physical or mental harm caused by an individual who is not a family member. Now, when one of these are granted, the person who has served the order has rules or conditions that they need to follow, and a breach of these rules is a breach of the law. So l was served the order on July 8, and he was instructed that he could not have any contact with Celeste whatsoever. And at first this worked, at least for a little while. A, to be honest, very short while, from about July through mid August, everything just appeared to stop. And during that time, Celeste and her mom sought out for the interim order to be made final. And after Luay refused to consent to the final orders, a hearing was scheduled for March 9th of 2021. And also during that time, he was interviewed at the Craigie Burn police station, where he admitted to sending the repeated messages from various social media accounts. But of course, he said that he wasn't at fault. And this is maddening and completely ridiculous, but he said that if his messages were causing her distress, that she could just stop reading them and that sending them was, quote, therapeutic for him. He also said that because Celeste filed an intervention order, he was no longer interested in her, basically alluding to the idea that he was over her and was not going to send her any further messages. But this statement was because he definitely was still interested in her and was not going to stop. And on August 15, he breached the order and he sent her an Instagram DM that had a link to a Google Doc attached. And it turns out it was a three and a half page letter. And Celeste actually wasn't sure at first if the message was from him. And she didn't want to open the link, thinking it may contain a virus or something like that. So after work that day, she ended up just bringing her phone to the police station so that they could open it. And that's when they realized that it was, in fact, from him, which meant that he breached the order. And what's interesting about this letter is that when Celeste read it, she actually felt bad for him and so did her mom. Now, I don't actually have the full letter to read to you all, but to give you an idea, it was basically a plea to have her drop the intervention order, that it was ruining his life. And according to her mom, he actually used the word please in the letter 43 times.

[Josh]

Please see reason, Celeste, please. Celeste, the ball is in your court. Only. You can end this now, Celeste, please end this nonsense by withdrawing the order and stopping the charges against me for stalking and harassment. And if you make the right choice, Celeste, both of us can move on and we can finally have peace of mind.

[Kendall Ray]

He also said that because of the order, he's facing 10 years and that he's not going to be able to look after his sick mother. Just a bunch of things to make it seem like. Like she was ruining his life basically over some harmless dms, which obviously they were not harmless at all. Celeste did absolutely nothing wrong by filing the intervention order. In fact, she did the right thing on all counts. But, you know, she had this side of her that was truly caring for all people, and she felt bad and so did her mom. But at first, when they read this letter, they both had this moment of. Of did we do the wrong thing here? Aggie even ended up calling the officer that they reported him to and asked about, you know, what would dropping the order be like? You know, what options do they have? And when they did that, they said if they dropped it, there's nothing that they could do to protect Celeste. And that was the moment Aggie said it really hit her. She knew her daughter needed that protection, and she was not going to stand in the way of that. Plus, a lot of red flags became clear. She realized that more than anything else, this letter was a threat of what Luay would do if Celeste didn't drop it. So she didn't drop it, which was absolutely the right move. But it's also another instance of how Celeste was failed because even when this beast reached that order, they did nothing to protect her. That letter in itself was a breach of the order, and it proved that he was still an active threat towards her. And yet nothing was done about it. There were no legitimate consequences for him to face, and he was just able to go about his normal life. Every morning, I am woken up by one of my favorite furry beings in the world, and that is my cat, Lily. If you ever watch my content on YouTube, you've probably seen Lily in the background. She's my big fat white cat. And I'm telling you, that cat is my soulmate. I do have three cats. I love them all dearly, but Lily, I mean, if you get it, you get it. You know, having that one pet, that really just gets you at a soul level. But now that all of my cats are sadly seniors, I am trying to make sure that they get the best possible quality food and pretty much everything else in their lives, because they deserve it. This podcast is sponsored by Smalls. And if you're a listener of the show, you know that my cats cannot live without Smalls. Smalls cat food is protein packed recipes made with preservative free ingredients that you would find in your fridge. And the best part, it's delivered right to your door. That's why cats.com named Smalls their best overall cat food. And our cats just go absolutely wild when they hear the can crack and they know the Smalls is on its way. And for a long time, when it comes to wet food, my cats were really picky and all of the healthier options on the market my cats would turn their noses at. They only wanted the most low quality stuff possible. And I was like, okay, whatever, you know, at least they're getting the wet food down. It's so good for them. But I knew the quality was not that good. And I was skeptical when I first tried Smalls because my cats are so picky. But they all love it. So best of both worlds. Worlds. They enjoy it. And I'm happy that they're getting a much better quality cat food that is going to keep them healthy for longer. Plus, what I love about Smalls is they work with the Humane Society. They've donated over a million dollars worth of food to help cats through the Humane Society. And they even give you a chance to donate at checkout, whether you donate $3 for treats, $5 for vaccines, or $7 for spaying and neutering. So give your cat the gift of great cat food. This holiday season, head to smalls.com Kendall Ray and use promo code Kendall Ray at checkout for 50% off your first order plus free shipping. That offer you'll find but you have to use my code KENDALL RAY For 50% off your first order. One last time. That's promo code Kendall Ray for 50% off your first order plus free shipping. As you all know, we live in the dawn of subscription services. I mean really everything from streaming services to meal kits to cleaning products, things like apps and games. I mean there's really just a subscription for pretty much everything these days. And if I were to ask you how many subscriptions you currently have active, would you be able to tell me? Me Before I started using Rocket Money, I had no idea how much money I was wasting on subscriptions, especially things like free trials that I had started thinking I was going to cancel them and then I just forgot about them or to be honest, got lazy because I didn't want to deal with customer service. But that all changed with Rocket Money because they deal with the customer service for you and canceling a subscription could not be easier than it is with Rocket Money. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps you find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, but it also monitors your spending and helps you to lower your bills so that you can grow your savings. Savings. You can see all of your subscriptions in one place and know exactly where your money is going. And for any that you don't want anymore, Rocket Money can help you cancel them with just a few taps. Rocket Money's dashboard gives you a clear view of your expenses across all of your accounts. You can easily create a personalized budget with custom categories to help keep your spending on track. You can see monthly spending trends in each category to know exactly where your money is going, and you can even get alerts if bills increase in price or there's unusual spending activity. Or maybe you're close to going over budget. Budget and Rocket Money can even try to negotiate to lower your bills for you, sometimes by up to 20%. They automatically scan your bills to find opportunities to save and then you can ask them to negotiate for you and they deal with the customer service. Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of 500 million in canceled subscription saving members up to 740 a year when using all the apps features. So stop wasting money on things you don't use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to Rocket Money.com Kendall Ray that's Rocket Money.com Kendall Ray once again Rocket Money.com KendallRay Ray but in an interview after the breach, he did say that he'd stop reaching out to her. And technically speaking, he did. After the letter was sent, the messages stopped. And for a few brief weeks, they thought maybe this time Celeste was safe. But she wasn't safe. And because they did nothing to stop him, on November 16, 2020, her life was stolen from her in an unbelievably brutal way. And to describe what happened, I need to go back to just before her murder. As I mentioned earlier, Celeste had this new boyfriend named Chris. And aside from everything else that was going on in her life, everything with him was going very well, and the two of them were really happy. And right before she was murdered, the two of them went out on a date. And while they were on this date, they took a photo together. And if you're watching this episode, the photo is on the screen right now. And Celeste really liked this picture. She liked it so much that she wanted to share it on social media. And on the night of November 15th, she did. But when she did that, she unknowingly and absolutely at no fault of her own, triggered L. And just hours later, shortly after 3:50am, he scaled the fence to her backyard and used a hammer to shatter her bedroom window. After that, he entered her bedroom and he proceeded to stab Celeste 23 times as she laid in bed asleep, with the fatal blow being a stab wound to her heart. CCTV footage from a neighbor's house determined that from the time he left his car to the time he returned, he was gone for only 2 minutes and 39 seconds. That's how quickly this happened. And in those 2 minutes and 39 seconds, he managed to take away the life of a beautiful young woman whose life was only just beginning. And watching interview clips of her poor mother describing what this night was like, like is beyond devastating. It's just horrific. For her to even have the strength to talk about what that night was like, it's just amazing to me. She was there the night that it happened. She heard it happen. She was sleeping and she heard the glass shatter. She said it sounded incredibly loud. And at first she was really confused. She thought maybe she was having a horrible nightmare. Obviously, when you get woken up by a loud sound like that, it's very disorienting. But when she heard Celeste gasp out, she knew that this was real. She ran right into her room, right over the broken glass. She's screaming, saying, celeste, don't leave me. She did what every mother would do in that situation and tried her best to, you know, perform cpr, hoping that that would be enough to save her life. Obviously, in a situation like that, most of the time you're in. In sort of a haze, like you can't fully comprehend what is happening. She was very confused. She didn't even realize that this was a murder. At first, she was trying to make sense of the whole situation, but after first responders got there, they told her, stop, this is a crime scene. We just found a knife. And it was in that moment that she realized exactly what happened and exactly who did this.

[Tony Mano]

It was like something I just never heard. It was like a million pieces of glass just crashing. And all of a sudden I heard, oh. So I remember just going, celeste. And I just ran out of bed, and I'm just screaming her name down the hallway. I go, celeste, sweetie, what happened? And I realized that I'm running all over glass and I'm seeing blood. I still don't get it. And I'm pulling her out of the bed. She's not helping me at all, but I see all that glass, and so I didn't want to drop her on all that.

[Josh]

Outside security footage shows Seiko fleeing in his car as the paramedics arrive. Inside, Aggie is desperately fighting to save her daughter's life.

[Tony Mano]

Breathe, sweetie. Please don't leave me.

[Josh]

Don't leave me.

[Tony Mano]

And then one of them stops me and he says, this is a crime scene. We found a knock life. And in that moment, all I said was, what? Oh, my God, he killed her? He said, you know who did that? I said, yes, yes.

[Kendall Ray]

Yes. And when I heard what happened next, I was actually quite surprised. And I think a lot of you will be too sincere, since up until this point, this didn't seem like something Luay would do. But rather than hide or wait for authorities to come and find him, he ended up just turning himself in. At 3:57am he just shows up at the Myrnda police station and asked an officer to shoot him and then proceeded to explain what he had done. Meanwhile, back at the house, the scene was being processed, and officers not only found the knife that he had left behind, but they also found the hammer that he had used to break the window. Plus a little bit down the. They ended up finding a phone that he clearly tried to ditch. And there just really aren't words to properly describe the pain that her family felt both on that day and every day since. I actually listened to a podcast that her brother and her mom did, and it really just broke my heart. It is so devastating to listen to their Experience and the toll that this has taken on their lives. Lives just through the entire experience from the day that those messages started to today. I want to link that episode below if you would like to hear more directly from them. I definitely recommend giving it a listen and showing them that support. Aggie also talked about how a lot of the reporting on her daughter's case has been really frustrating and how they've left Alessandro completely out of the reporting at all. They've failed to mention how horrible it's been for him and how close the two of them actually were. Listening to him describe the way that this has broken his mother and also himself is so, so devastating. And one thing that he opened up about is how hard it's been for him to show emotion. I mean, everyone deals with grief differently and he feels like he is just completely numb at this point. He's only been able to cry a few times and he said that that's been really hard. Especially when others around him are able to show that emotion more easily. And obviously it's not because he doesn't have the emotion, it's just. Yeah, it's that numbness that some people go through. He works in the wedding industry and he says that the times he has felt the most emotional is during the father, daughter dances. Just seeing that and knowing that his big sister won't have it, those are the moments where he finds himself really hurting the most. He also said that Celeste's death has completely changed their whole family dynamic. They don't go out to celebrate holidays or milestones like they used to. His mother is just completely a different human now, understandably. And really, no one in their family has been the same since Aggie mentioned that she feels guilt on a daily basis. She even feels guilty doing something as small as going out to dinner. What's heart wrenching is how much Aggie actually blames herself for all of this. She has said that she feels responsible for not protecting her daughter and there were times where she wished that she was killed that night too. And that pain, I know I can't say anything to take it away. And as a mother, I. I understand exactly what she's saying. Like, I would probably feel the same way. And there's nothing that I can say to you, Aggie, if you ever listen to this episode or see this, that will make you feel any better or change any of that emotion for you. But I hope, I hope someday you're able to realize that this was not your fault. This was not Celeste's fault. This was no One's fault. The only person who has any blame or fault in this is Luay is the Beast. Actually, I take that back. The only other people that have blame and fault in this is the government who completely failed your family and failed to protect your daughter. And with that being said, let's get into all of that. Let's get into the aftermath of it all. Because if the circumstances weren't already horrible enough with everything leading up to her death, the legal response makes it all ten times worse. So even though the Beast literally confessed, he says it wasn't actually him, or basically that he wasn't in his right mind when he did it. In police interviews and in psychiatric evaluations following his arrest, this sicko said that it was the voices in his head that told him to do it. He said that it was the voice of a woman who he called Isha and that she told him to murder Celeste. And based on that, I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that Luay tried to claim that he was mentally impaired at the time of the murder. And he has used that defense the last few years to try and minimize his responsibility and culpability. And he even tried to blame law enforcement for what he did, which, I mean, I blame them, too, but not in the way that he was. And his whole mental impairment defense has only caused Celeste's family to endure more pain than they already have, especially because of how much he has dragged things on. However, from the moment her daughter was murdered, Aggie promised her that she wouldn't stop until she got justice. And even with the year's worth of roadblocks, she has never given up. I have so much respect for her as a mother and everything that she has done, the fight that she has been able to fight under the pain and grief that she is going through at the same time. Celeste was laid to rest at the end of November, just after what would have been her 24th birthday. They so, so young. And really, it's been an uphill battle for their family ever since. From the end of 2020 through 2023, there were countless hearings and psychiatric evaluations to determine L's ability to stand trial and if there would even be a trial and what the nature of his mental impairment truly is. And despite some initial conflicting opinions, it was ultimately determined that he was mentally fit to stand trial. So trial was scheduled for May of 2023, and a month before it began, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. And that meant he would no longer need to go to trial. Instead, there would just be a hearing in front of the judge to determine the length of his sentence. But let me tell you, nothing about the leadup to this was straightforward either. In the summer of 2023, the hearing was delayed after he fired his attorney because he said he felt pressured to plead guilty and that he said he wanted to revoke that plea. He also said that he wanted to represent himself in court, but ended up being convinced to keep his guilty plea and to get new representation. However, they still had to delay the hearing because his new attorney, Tim Marsh, said that he needed more time to be briefed on the case. There were a few more delays after that, but ultimately his hearing was scheduled to begin on January 29, 2024. And guess what this bozo did right before. Once again, he said that he wanted to represent himself. L said that he wanted to dispute the autopsy because, get this, he doesn't believe he actually stabbed Celeste 23 times. He said that he only stabbed her two times. And the other 21 injuries were caused by the broken glass, which, may I remind you, he broke the glass. So even if that were true, which it's been proven that it's not, not, it still would have been his fault. And I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I will be talking about that more later on. But let's get into what happened during this hearing. So, like I said, it started on January 29, 2024, and it ended up going on for three days. And just as a reminder, they are not trying to prove whether or not he did it. It's been determined that he did what they were arguing is how much time he should end up serving in prison. Now, for the prosecution, they were seeking a sentence of life in prison. They believe that he not only meticulously planned Celeste murder, but that he feels no remorse for what he's done. And it's quite possible that he would do it again if given the opportunity. Now, as for the defense, they relied heavily on his mental impairment to remove as much culpability as possible, seeking a much lighter sentence. And that's what I want to get into next. Ls mental impairment, because that is a huge part of this case. Over the years, he'd undergone several evaluations where he was unable to convince psychiatrists that he was experiencing psychosis when the murder occurred. And three different professionals said that it was their opinion that he was faking his symptoms. During his assessments. However, he was determined to have a severe personality disorder as well as major depressive disorder and body Dysmorphic disorder. And to be clear, the prosecution wasn't denying this. However, they were rejecting the idea that his diagnosis made him any less responsible for what he had done. If anything, they believe that he is more at risk of doing something like this again if he was given the chance. And that's exactly what one forensic psychiatrist testified to. Dr. Darji played a big role in a lot of this. And he basically said that, yes, l was mentally impaired at the time of the murder, and it did impact his judgment, but that these conditions didn't force him to kill Celeste. He also came to the conclusion that his risk of reoffending was extremely high. In fact, he said that he felt it was a possibility that when he was in prison, if any female guard was kind to him in any way, there's a good chance that he would continue this stalking behavior or do something harmful against her. And during this hearing, there was a lot of back and forth about his risk to the public and his ability to be rehabilitated in prison. Because obviously, if he can't be rehabilitated and he's deemed a risk to the public, public, he shouldn't be let out. Right. And the prosecution kept driving that point over and over again that they do not feel this person is capable of getting better. And of course, they also made the point that this wasn't just some spur of the moment attack. For over a year, Louis harassed and stalked Celeste. And months before her murder, he began plotting her death. This beast literally admitted to the police that he used the Internet to find her eyes address and then looked up the floor plan of her house to figure out which room was hers. And if those aren't the actions of a carefully thought out killer and a premeditated murder, I don't know what is. Not to mention the fact that he bought the knife that was used to kill her months before he actually did. And it's believed that the real trigger, the reason he did what he did, when he did it, goes back to that photo that I showed you earlier, the one of Celeste and her boyfriend the night that she posted online, the night before she died. And I know I've already said this, but I want to make this point once again and make it so clear that it is not her fault that she posted this photo and it led to him finally losing it and taking her life. And I want to make that point so clear because her mom has been very vocal about how she feels. The media that has covered the case has sort of put a lot of blame on Celeste for That photo, that there's a lot of victim blaming going on. And if you want to hear just how inhumane and nasty and in my opinion, pure evil this man actually is, listen to this. During the hearing, he decided he needed to cross examine the medical examiner because like I said before, he questioned the autopsy and the amount of stab wounds that Celeste actually received. So this sicko starts asking about every single stab wound, asking for the details of every single stab wound while their family, her loved ones are sitting there listening to it. And at some point they decide, this is too painful. This is so traumatizing. We don't need to listen to this. So they get up and they leave the courtroom. And after they do, just minutes after they do, someone comes out and told them that he's done. He no longer has any further questioning. So it's very obvious that the only reason he was doing all of that was to make them sit there and listen in agony, agony to the agony that Celeste experienced at his hands. He just wanted to torture them. And when they were no longer in the room to torture anymore, he gave up his cross examination. And the hell that this family went through doesn't stop there. The only time during this process that they were able to confront him in any way to say what they wanted to say to the man who stole Celeste from them. They were given the opportunity to give victim impact statements, but. And they were shocked to hear this, and they talk a lot about this in the podcast I mentioned that I'm going to link below. But they essentially told them that they really couldn't say anything they wanted to say. They had written their statements back in December and then they had to submit them to make sure that they had followed the guidelines of what they could and could not say. And what was infuriating and shocking to me is they were given the statements back 30 minutes before they were allowed to read them, only to find out that about half of what they had written down had been crossed out. And they were told they couldn't say it. Aggie said she had written 12 pages and six of those pages were blocked out. And it wasn't just like six pages in a row, it was paragraphs at a time throughout. So with only 30 minutes of time, everyone who had written victim impact statements had to piece their words together and try to make it make sense and also make the impact that they wanted. And then when Aggie did end up reading her statement, which was a fraction of what she wanted to say, L, being the little that he is, couldn't even look her in the eye. And so she screamed at him and said, look at me. She also said, God, this part broke my heart. She said, I hate you, and the only person I hate more than you is me. I couldn't protect her from you. Her brother Alessandro says that he didn't even want to read his statement at all because he couldn't say how he truly felt. But he did decide to read his statement, and when he did, he went off script and said things that he wasn't supposed to, and the judge got really pissed. So not only did Celeste lose her voice, but they did too. And to add insult to injury, the judge's final ruling is appalling. In the end, Judge Jane Dixon sentenced Louise SEO to a mere 36 years in prison, with a parole eligibility in 30 years. Yes, you heard that right. 36 years with parole on the table. 30 years from then. There aren't even words to describe how insane that that is. It goes without saying. I think everyone out there will agree with me if you don't. I don't know why you wouldn't, but I think we can all agree here that that sentence isn't remotely enough. It's offensive, it's dangerous. Not only is it dangerous to the public, to their family, and just a slap in the face, really, to Celeste and the whole family, but it was a missed opportunity to set a precedent in cases like this moving forward. But for whatever reason, the. The decision was made to go easy on Celeste's killer. And I cannot wrap my head around this. I cannot understand why this was what the judge felt was best. And if it couldn't get any worse, it actually does, because they found out that if l had made the decision to go to trial, you know, roll the dice, this judge said that she would have only given him 40 years, meaning she was ever even considering a life sentence for him in the first place. In a statement given after all of this, Aggie said that it was unbelievable that the court showed him mercy even though he showed Celeste none. Celeste Mano's mother thought her wait for justice was over. But the sentence has already sparked another battle for an appeal.

[Tony Mano]

Today's outcome proves just how flawed the justice system is. It failed Celeste then, and it failed her again. Now.

[Kendall Ray]

Her daughter's killer, Luay Sako, sentenced to 36 years behind bars. I consider that your offending does not warrant life imprisonment, although it does warrant a very stern sentence.

[Tony Mano]

Clearly, I'm devastated. We all are. Absolutely unbelievable that the court decided to grant him mercy even though he showed Celeste None.

[Kendall Ray]

And this decision is just further proof of how flawed their justice system truly is. They allowed this dangerous man to continue to stalk Celeste and then they did nothing when his intervention order was breached. And that is a huge reason why Aggie, Alessandro and the rest of their family is calling for stronger protections and stricter laws, laws against stalking and punishments for criminals who breach these orders. One thing that she is specifically calling for is the use of ankle bracelets, which you think would just be the standard. Apparently it's not. She believes that if her daughter's killer had been wearing an ankle bracelet, it would have given them notice when he approached their home. And if that would have been the case, they could have gotten away and Celeste would still be here. And her efforts and strength in all of this has truly been incredible. And even led to a 200 plus PA report that was conducted by the Victorian Law Reform Commission. The report addresses gaps in the legal system's response to stalking and puts forward 46 recommendations with the goal of improving protections and support for victims like Celeste. Some of these recommendations include improving legal aid and support mechanisms for victims, as well as dedicated training for law enforcement. It also recommends revising personal safety prevention orders like the one that Celeste had to better prioritize cases outside of family violence. Obviously, I don't have time to go through them all, so of course I will link the report in the description of this episode or in the show notes if you are listening to the podcast version. And here's the thing, this report was fantastic. It brought up so many great recommendations. And how many of those recommendations do you think have been implemented? Zero. It is atrocious, it is disgusting. It is shameful that in the years since her murder, nothing, nothing, not one thing, has been done to prevent this from happening to someone else. Aggie, Alessandro, Tony and the rest of their family have marched the streets with thousands of fellow Australians begging for some kind of change and tougher laws on gender based violence. And they and so many others have been met with silence. Meetings they were promised have been ignored, phone calls have gone unanswered, and enough is enough. Action needs to be taken and it needs to happen now. So in the description or show notes of this episode, I'm going to leave the email of the Attorney General of Victoria. Her name is Jacqueline Symes, and I ask that you take a couple minutes to email her and demand the immediate implementation of these recommendations. I'll make it easy for you. I'll have a written example that you're free to change up however you want or Just write your own and that'll all be below. And I'm sure a lot of you will ask because I know the majority of my audience is in the United States States, but it doesn't matter where you live. We can all demand action and for Celeste's sake and the future safety of other people, we need to. And something else that Aggie is really pushing for is the mandatory sentence of life in prison for all murders. She believes that the only way to deter people from murdering is giving them the most severe sentence. And anything less than that is simply not enough. She believes that Celeste's killer will absolutely do it again if released. And I agree with her. I think there's a huge possibility that if and when, I mean, he's going to be let out, I think he will do something like this again. And that's terrifying. They tried to appeal his sentence, but the Office of Public Prosecution said that they wouldn't go to the Court of Appeals to challenge the 36 year sentence. I guess they had just lost the appeal in a different case and they think that the outcome would probably be the same if they tried to appeal on this case. So they aren't even going to try. So yeah, I can see why Aggie is at as outraged as she is and I am right there with her. The system failed her daughter. It has failed so many people all over the world, so many different systems, and it's continuing to fail her and others every single day. Now, like I said, I know I have a largely US based audience, but there is a petition on change.org that anyone can sign regardless of where you live. And signing the justice for Celeste petition is a free and easy way that you can show this family your support. And I'm going to ask that you please take the time to sign it. It only takes a couple of seconds. There's also a Facebook page that I'm going to link in the description and if anyone in my audience lives in Victoria or anywhere near Australia, I want to encourage you to follow that page. But even if you are anywhere else, just the support that families can get in those numbers or even just sending a nice comment message, whatever it is, goes a long way. But there are a lot of posts on there about their rallies and events that they hold. And if you are able to go to any of those, I highly encourage you to go out and support this family. There have already been a number of rallies put on with the raising awareness and getting the attention of the government. And right now they need as much support as they can get. In March of this year, friends, family and supporters marched through Central Melbourne down to the Supreme Court in an effort to raise awareness and demand change. And I can tell you that this is a group who is not going to back down. And obviously this episode just really scratches the surface. There is so much change that needs to happen to protect victims of stalking. And Aggie is really leading that fight in Australia. I was really moved by how much passion she has for change and how much commitment she has, how much strength after everything that she has been through to change the system, to help other people. It truly takes people like Aggie to get things done. And I'm just. I'm so proud of her. And I hope one day. I don't know if it's even possible, and I would never expect this for you, but I hope for you that some way you're able to find peace and to know that this was not your fault in any way. The fact that l could have been stopped and wasn't is just such a massive failure. There's honestly no words to put to it, just how atrocious it really is. And 36 years in prison, what a joke. This case has truly infuriated me and I hope you guys feel the same and I hope that leads you to taking some action. Whether that's following their page, signing that petition, sending that email, whatever you can do, please take the time to do it. And thank you to all of you who have listened to this episode, listened to Celeste's story, and I hope it enrages you as much as it enraged me. That is going to be it for me today. Guys, thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel which will be linked or you can just search Kendall Rae. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then, stay safe out there.

[Josh]

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[Kendall Ray]

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