A cousin of Nerlande Foreste’s last spoke to her in a phone call early on Aug. 21, 2019. Foreste, 41, feared for her life and said her husband had threatened to kill her, the cousin told investigators.
The Montgomery Village woman has not been reported seen since that month.
A jury at the Montgomery County Circuit Court last week convicted Foreste’s husband, Jean Jocelin Pierre, now 50, of second-degree murder of Foreste, inside their home in August 2019. Jurors deliberated for two hours after the five-day trial before reaching their verdict on May 5.
Her body has never been recovered.
In a 2019 interview with investigators, Pierre admitted to fatally stabbing Foreste and later placing her body inside a shipping container, which he carried to a dumpster in the early morning hours of Aug. 22, 2019, according to charging documents. Pierre told investigators they would not be able to find Foreste’s body.
“Pierre gave inconsistent statements concerning his actions and whereabouts during the investigation,” charging documents stated. “Several times during the interview Pierre stated his wife was gone and she wasn’t coming back.”
Foreste’s body is likely never to be recovered due to the way in which it was disposed of, State’s Attorney John McCarthy said at a press conference on Monday. McCarthy explained that the dumpster where Pierre disposed of Foreste’s body was emptied and brought to a waste transfer station where it is “virtually impossible” to recover and identify parts of a human being.
On Aug. 24, 2019, Pierre went to the Sixth District station to file a missing person’s report and stated that he had not seen his wife since Aug. 22. Foreste’s vehicle remained at their home along with other personal belongings including her cellphone and purse, according to charging documents. On the same day at a separate time, Pierre’s then 15-year-old daughter followed up with Montgomery County police concerning her missing stepmother.
Pierre’s daughter testified against her father during the trial and was a key witness for the case. According to McCarthy, she and Pierre survived an earthquake in Haiti years ago that killed her mother and sister and left her severely injured.
Charging documents stated that police contacted the cousin of Foreste who advised officers that she spoke with Foreste on the phone on Aug. 21 at 6:30 a.m. In this conversation, Foreste expressed fear for her life and stated that her husband had threatened to kill her, according to the charging documents.
Foreste’s family held a vigil for her in September 2019. Her brother described her as a dedicated nurse who “always smiling” and excited to meet new people.
Pierre now faces up to 40 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 14.
