Woman charged as accessory in Funderburg murder

   Prosecutors have charged a Colorado Springs woman with accessory to murder in the case of an illegal immigrant charged with killing a 22-year-old woman, then dumping her body over a cliff east of the city.

   Dianna A. Aragon, 44, faces up to six years in prison if convicted of the felony charge. Colorado Springs police said Aragon lied to investigators to cover for Salvator Esquivel-Castillo, 36, who has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the July 2007 slaying of Jaclyn Funderburg.

   Funderburg's friends reported seeing her getting into Esquivel-Castillo's Cadillac on July 11. Police found her battered body 11 days later at the base of a cliff southeast of Marksheffel Road and Space Village Avenue - near where Aragon lived in a trailer. Esquivel-Castillo and Funderburg had an infant son together, but Funderburg was trying to break off the relationship, according to family and friends.

   He is also charged with breaking her jaw in May 2007.

   Aragon was charged last week, just as Esquivel-Castillo's murder trial was getting under way with jury selection. Fourth Judicial District Judge David Shakes delayed the trial until Aug. 11 because prosecutors didn't give defense attorneys key evidence until the day before trial.

   Aragon is due to appear before District Judge David Gilbert today and remains free on $25,000 bond.

   More details about the grisly killing were revealed in the arrest affidavit for Aragon.

   Police arrested Esquivel-Castillo July 12, 2007, as he arrived at Ruby's Diner, 3020 New Center Point, to pick up a paycheck. He told his boss that his mother was sick and he had to return to Mexico, according to the affidavit.

   Investigators later found a duffel bag packed with clothes at Aragon's trailer, 5 N. Marksheffel Road #3.

   Aragon drove Esquivel-Castillo to the diner, then apparently lied to police about not seeing the Cadillac - which investigators later found freshly cleaned and parked outside the trailer, according to the affidavit.

   Investigators found drops of Funderburg's blood in the car's trunk and weeds under the car similar to those found at the cliff.

   They also taped calls between Aragon and Esquivel-Castillo from jail.

   "Salvator told Dianna his black shoes are underneath the sink and he asked her to wash them real good and to throw them real far away," according to the affidavit.

   Aragon's son, 20-year-old Brian Aragon, told police his mother had seen Esquivel-Castillo - who also uses the name Eddie - at the trailer early July 12.

   "Dianna went outside and saw blood on the outside of Eddie's white in color Cadillac," Brian Aragon, 20, told investigators.

   "She asked Eddie what he did; he told her she was better offi not to know. Eddie then started cleaning the car with bleach."

   Esquivel-Castillo told him "that if he killed someone he would throw them in the ditch at the ranch and let the coyotes eat them," Aragon's son told investigators.

   Police searched the Banning Lewis Ranch area and found Funderburg's body July 22, 2007, in a makeshift grave at the base of the cliff.

   Esquivel-Castillo has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains in custody at the El Paso County Criminal Justice center without bond. He faces life in prison without parole if convicted.