Former detective reveals details about Christopher Clements during fraud investigation

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A detective who helped get a conviction against Christopher Clements in a fraud case reveals new details about Clements ahead of the sentencing.

Last month, a mistrial was declared for Clements in the murder of 6-year-old Isabel Celis. Clements was already convicted of murdering teenager Maribel Gonzalez, but the former Maricopa County Attorney’s Office detective is wrapping up a fraud case against him and is worried there are more victims out there.

This detective reached out to Arizona’s Family after he saw our story about the juror who sent us all their notes about the mistrial and felt he had to share what he knows about Clements.

This detective worked for Phoenix PD for 20 years before going to the MCAO and said Clements was one of the most dangerous predators he’s ever seen. “He told me to eat s**t and die,” said former MCAO detective Al Richard.

Richard said that’s what Christopher Clements told him during one of their interactions over the six years he’s been investigating Clements for fraud.

Before Clements was charged with the murders of Isabel Celis and Maribel Gonzalez in 2018, he was in jail for burglary, and that’s when Richard claims Clements immediately began fraudulent calls to his girlfriend from inside his cell to put money into a different inmate’s books to use. “So, he could get supplies at the jail without having it taken for child support order for his wife who is out of state,” said Richard.

But, while this was being investigated for fraud, Clements was charged for the two girls’ murders after leading authorities to Celis’ remains in the Tucson desert, near where Maribel’s remains were found years prior. Richard said as they began looking at his electronics and messages, he was horrified by the kind of pornography he said Clements had stored. “It ran the gamut from very young children to very old people…in sexual comprising situations,” said Richard.

Richard said there was even clown pornography on his devices and a clear escalation of violence. The detective claims Clements began his sexual predation at a young age and that he and other detectives grew concerned, there may be other victims in the other states he’s lived. “We know he was in Hawaii, we know he was in Oregon, we know he was in Florida, and he’s traveled the U.S.,” said Richard.

“Do you think there are more victims?” asked reporter Briana Whitney. “I do,” said Richard. “What kind of victims?” asked Whitney. “Unfortunately, I think there’s more children,” said Richard. “When he was in custody, he bragged to some other inmates that he’s done this before and he got away with it.”

Clements is serving life in prison for the murder of Maribel Gonzalez, and a second trial looms for the murder of Isabel Celis.

Richard hopes now that he’s also convicted in this fraud case, the judge will sentence Clements to a consecutive prison term, as Richard believes Clements will exhaust all appeals possible on his life sentence. “I’ve seen no evidence Mr. Clements has changed his ways and he continues to commit crime, look for opportunities to commit crime, he’ll exploit systems. And if he’s not held accountable for it, he’ll continue to do it,” said Richard.

Clements is set to be sentenced in this fraud case next month. Richard said Clements is looking at a minimum of 15 years to possibly more than 30 years in prison.

The Pima County Attorney’s Office will need to set a date for a second trial in the Isabel Celis murder.

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