Christopher Weiss: Man who killed his mistress and daughter searched 'how to make fatal poison' online

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised

WACO, TEXAS: Christopher Paul Weiss, who was arrested in the deaths of his mistress and their 1-year-old daughter, reportedly searched for deadly recipes to kill them, one week before he carried out the tragic murders.

Authorities also found many internet searches about making poisons from foods like peach and apricot seeds on the Texas man's phone, KWTX reported.

Weiss' mistress Valerie Martinez, 24, and their toddler daughter, Azariah, 1, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds to their heads in November 2017 at Tradinghouse Lake Park in eastern McLennan County.

What happened during the third day of testimony?

Christopher Weiss, 32, who is married with two children, stands trial at Waco’s 19th State District Court in connection with the death of Martinez, with whom he had an extramarital affair, and her infant daughter, who was confirmed to be Weiss’ child via DNA testing.

On Thursday, April 4, 2024, the third day of testimony, Texas Ranger Jake Burson returned to the witness stand while Dallas County prosecutors played a second videotaped interview between the Ranger and Weiss on the night of his arrest. 

Burson's initial interview with Weiss occurred the day after the bodies were discovered by a passerby driving through the park on her regular Sunday visit with her father. 

In the interim, Burson and investigators from the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office had gathered enough information from friends and family members of the victims to confront Weiss with the lies he had told them during his first interview. 

Despite acknowledging these lies, Weiss attributed them to fear of his wife discovering his ongoing affair with Martinez and jeopardizing his strained marriage. 

Despite the Ranger's efforts to elicit a confession, Weiss, dressed in a camouflage jacket and jeans, maintained his innocence, claiming,  "I didn’t kill anybody, but I know how it looks, I know I’m a liar. I know I’m a sorry f------ piece of s---. But I didn’t do it. I swear I didn’t do it."

Evidence against Christopher Weiss presented in court

On the other hand, investigators have not yet found the .22 Caliber pistol used in the killings. Weiss purchased the pistol in 2015 but claims that it was stolen from his white Dodge Ram pickup truck. He allegedly didn't report it stolen because he didn't realize it was missing until he and his family had moved. 

Burson warned him that finding the murder weapon would seal his fate. Despite this, Weiss maintained his innocence, insisting that the evidence was enough to prove his guilt. 

One major inconsistency between Weiss' interviews was his denial of going to Tradinghouse Lake Park on the night of the incident.

Eventually, he admitted to driving there with Martinez and Azariah in her blue Ford Escort.

Burson asked Weiss to sketch a diagram of where they parked that night, and although crude, the diagram resembled the crime scene. 

Burson accused Weiss of wanting to kill Martinez and their daughter due to financial problems and request for child support. 

However, Weiss denied Burson's allegations, stating that Martinez only wanted her daughter to have a father figure.

Detective Dustin Losak testified that Weiss' cell phone revealed his searches for poisoning methods, just a week before the murders.

The searches included queries like "how to make deadly poisons at home, how to make fatal poison, how to extract cyanide from apricot seeds, and how many peach seeds can kill you."

Weiss' phone records also showed his whereabouts and confirmed he was at the park.

Former Sheriff’s Captain Chris Eubank described how they followed Weiss, who seemed to be preparing to flee with his family when deputies arrived.

Weiss denied attempting to flee during his second interview, but Burson noted birth certificates in his truck, indicating he was planning to travel. 

Prosecution testimony will resume Friday morning, and if convicted of capital murder, Weiss faces a life sentence without parole as the death penalty has been waived.