What happened to Cayley Mandadi? Details explored ahead of 48 Hours on ID

48 Hours, one of the most popular and longest-running true crime shows, is all set to cover the murder of Cayley Mandadi in its upcoming episode on Sunday, September 8, 2024. The case dates back to October 2017 and remains a massive mystery that no one seems to be able to grasp completely.

This will be the subject of the episode titled For the Love of Cayley Mandadi, which will air on ID at 8.00 PM EST on Sunday. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"When a beloved college student dies with unusual bruising, her parents go to extreme lengths to prove her death was no accident."

Cayley Mandadi's case remains special because after she was found unresponsive with an unusual bruise, the only person with her, her then-boyfriend Mark Howerton, claimed that she had passed out after doing ecstasy. Though Howerton was charged with assault, no one was ever punished for the death of Cayley Mandadi.

It also remains a mystery whether she died by accident or was killed.

---

Who was Cayley Mandadi and what happened to her?

Cayley Mandadi was born on August 26, 1998, in Webster, Texas. She lived with her mother, Alison Steele, a scientist, and stepfather Lawrence Baitland, a NASA engineer. She was described as an ideal daughter, student, and friend.

From a young age, Cayley was great at academics as well as extra-curricular activities. She harbored many hobbies like riding horses, playing the piano, acting in the theater, and being a Girl Scout. She graduated from Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas, and went on to pursue communications at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

On October 29, 2017, the 19-year-old sophomore student was brought to the hospital in critical condition. She was partially dressed, bruised, and completely unresponsive. She was declared dead on October 31, just two days after she was brought in.

She had allegedly taken ecstasy at the music festival. The autopsy report revealed that she died from blunt force face and head trauma. Soon, this kickstarted an intense investigation, starting with Cayley's boyfriend Mark Howerton, who was also the one to bring her to the hospital.

---

Who killed Cayley Mandadi?

Cayley attended the Mala Luna music festival in San Antonio with her boyfriend Mark Howerton and the two allegedly consumed ecstasy. The couple reportedly got into an argument at the festival and it continued on their way back home. Mark reportedly disclosed that the couple engaged in consensual s*x on the way back at Valero gas station in an attempt to make up for the fight.

Following this, Cayley Mandadi allegedly started feeling unwell and by the time they reached Luling, Mark discovered she wasn't breathing. Mark said he attempted to administer CPR to her before taking her to the hospital.

Authorities weren't sure of this information and cross-questioned Mark multiple times, which confirmed their suspicion. Mark changed his story multiple times and this led the authorities to believe that he was the one who killed his girlfriend. Moreover, the police also unearthed a history of violence between Mark and Cayley, with the former physically and verbally abusing the latter on multiple occasions before.

Though Mark was initially charged with the murder, in his trial two years later, the jury could not come to a verdict. In his second trial, the jury found him not guilty of murder but convicted him of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to 20 years for this.

---

The upcoming episode of 48 Hours will cover this case in more detail. Stay tuned.