Naman Shrestha
When a teenage mother of one named Shirley Fontanez was found dead in the Bronx, New York, in the summer of 2007, the entire community was shaken to its core. The tragedy also came with a shock to the police department as one of their own was linked to the crime. The episode titled ‘Malicious Mentor’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Deadly Women’ chronicles the entire case in a detailed manner with the help of exclusive and insightful interviews with Shirley’s loved ones and the officials who helped crack the case.
Shirley Fontanez Was Found Dead in a Bronx, New York, Apartment
Born in 1989 in Washington Heights, New York, to Maria Espinoza, Shirley Fontanez reportedly dropped out of high school to focus on getting her GED. By 16, she had become a mother to her daughter, Angeshely Sasha Gonzalez, whom she shared with Angel. However, the couple frequently argued, leading to the deterioration of their relationship. Being a determined and ambitious individual, Shirley had aspirations of joining the police force. In a chance meeting, she crossed paths with an NYPD officer named Frederick “Fred” Maselli, who was stationed at Manhattan’s 34th Precinct stationhouse.
While working at Rivera Check Cashing in Paterson, New Jersey, Shirley planned to take an entrance exam to become an officer. While preparing for the test, she met with Fred and asked for some tips to crack the exam. The two soon began dating, despite Shirley’s mother disapproved their relationship. With a promising future ahead, Shirley was looking forward to fulfilling her dreams and giving her daughter the life she deserved. Unfortunately, the 18-year-old mother was found dead in a Bronx apartment at 3611 Henry Hudson Parkway West in the afternoon of July 23, 2007. The authorities determined that she had died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Shirley Fontanez’s Killer Had Been Threatening to Kill her For Weeks
When the detectives arrived at the scene of the crime, they also found 40-year-old Frederick “Fred” Maselli shot in the head on the floor of the apartment, which belonged to him. As the investigators delved deeper into the two’s relationship, they learned that they had been dating since she was 16, while he was 38. Despite the fact that she was a juvenile at the time, Fred reportedly got involved with her sexually, which lawfully qualified as statutory rape. Shirley’s mother, Maria Espinoza, told the police that her daughter often complained that Fred was abusive towards her and that she couldn’t leave him because he threatened to kill her if she did.
Fred also allegedly supplied Shirley with stolen checks for her to cash at her workplace. For the crime, she was arrested a few months prior to her demise. According to her manager, Shirley allegedly cashed between $40,000 and $70,000 worth of the stolen checks and was sacked after getting caught on security cameras. She was indicted on charges of third-degree theft for her alleged involvement in the crime. According to her mother, Shirley, who lived with her mother and daughter in Washington Heights, had been trying to end things with Fred for about three weeks. Maria alleged that the police officer followed her on dates and “he kept telling her he was going to kill himself, but he wasn’t going to go alone, that he was going to take someone with him.”
One of her friends told the detectives that Shirley also planned to confront Fred about the illegal check scheme and ask him to return a Rolex watch that she had gifted him with illegal money. In light of all these details, the detectives concluded that the 40-year-old off-duty police officer shot 18-year-old Shirley five times, thrice in the stomach and twice in the head, with his 9-millimeter service handgun before taking his own life by shooting himself in the head in his Bronx apartment.
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