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The shocking 2011 murder of teenager Micaela Costanzo in Nevada is the subject of Oxygen's upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable season 2. Costanzo was found dead on March 5, 2011 and in the ensuing investigation, police uncovered the involvement of Costanzo's childhood friend and classmate Kody Kree Patten. At the time, Patten was dating a girl named Toni Fratto who was also involved in the case.
The first episode of Dateline: Unforgettable season 2, titled Under the Desert Sky, delves deep into the investigation that revealed a shockingly complicated tale of jealousy and manipulation. Read further ahead to find out if Kody Kree Patten's then-girlfriend Toni Fratto is guilty ahead of the upcoming Dateline: Unforgettable episode.
Dateline: Unforgettable Season 2: How did Kody Kree Patten kill Micaela Costanzo?
Micaela Costanzo went missing on March 3, 2011, after track practice at school. Police, along with various members of the community, soon began their search but two days later, Costanzo was found dead in a grave. Authorities started looking into Costanzo's childhood friend Kody Patten after discovering calls and messages sent to him by Costanzo. He was also seen with Costanzo in the school hallway on the school's security camera footage. Patten said he last saw Costanzo with her boyfriend in front of the school.
Police later discovered Patten was dating Toni Fratto. According to ThoughtCo, Fratto was jealous of Patten's friendship with Costanzo. Patten eventually confessed to the murder, saying he'd taken Costanzo for a drive and the two got into an argument after she asked Patten to break off his engagement with Fratto, which he refused. As Costanzo became physical, Patten pushed her, after which Costanzo suffered from convulsions. He then hit her with a shovel and slit her throat. Subsequently, Patten was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. If convicted, there was a possibility of a death sentence.
Dateline: Unforgettable Season 2: Is Toni Fratto guilty?
The case took a radical turn when Patten's attorney taped a confession by Toni Fratto, who said that on the day of the murder, Patten texted her, sayin, ''I've got her,'' meaning that Costanzo was with her. After picking up Fratto, the three went off to the gravel pit. Costanzo and Patten stepped out of the car and got into a heated argument. Fratto later stepped out of the car after hearing a loud noise and found Costanzo on the ground. The couple then kicked and hit Costanzo with a shovel before slitting her throat.
Fratto was then arrested but she gave a different version of the story to the police. She said Patten was angry at Costanzo and said they had to kill her. He ordered Fratto to stand guard and also asked her to hit Costanzo, which she refused. However, she later hit Costanzo in the shoulder while Patten hit her in the head.
Patten later changed his story, saying Fratto wanted to confront and fight out the issue with Costanzo, which she allegedly agreed to. Fratto pled guilty to second-degree murder with the possibility of parole after 18 years, while Patten pled guilty to first-degree murder in order to avoid death penalty, without the possibility of parole.
You can watch Dateline: Unforgettable on Oxygen on June 7, 2022 at 8 pm ET.
