ONLY ON KOLD: FBI interrogation videos show deal accused child killer tried to make with special agents

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - The KOLD Investigates Team obtained new video of the man accused of killing two Tucson girls.

The videos, that were recorded in 2017, show the negotiation Christopher Clements made with the FBI.

That deal led to the discovery of Isabel Celis’ remains, a six-year-old who went missing from her home in April 2012.

While in Pima County, Clements negotiated to have his burglary charges dropped and his car released from law enforcement in exchange for the location of Isabel Celis’ remains.

But Clements was far from being a free man.

While the Pima County Attorney’s office held up their end of the bargain, Clements was transferred to the Maricopa County Jail where he faced separate burglary charges.

In hopes of getting out of jail, Clements told the FBI he had more information in the Celis case, including the location of a key piece of evidence.

On April 25, 2017, dressed in a Maricopa County jumpsuit, Clements met with the special agents who helped him cut his deal in Pima County.

“What you gave us and what we did on March 3rd when you went out to the site…and you gave us the location of Celis, that was great. And, and in return for that,” one agent said.

“Why do you say that constantly?” Clements asked.

“Well, because I feel like what you got in return for that was fair,” the agent said.

“No, it wasn’t,” Clements said. “I didn’t ask for a million dollars. I asked for a chance at freedom.”

Could the information Clements had provide him with that chance?

Clements asked the agents if they remembered him telling them about a bonus piece of evidence they would find when he led them to Celis’ remains weeks earlier.

“When you find her, you’re gonna find so much more?” the agent asked.

“Right,” Clements said.

The agents remembered the conversation, but never found the additional evidence.

“You told us where she was. So, I know you know a lot more. You have to. Just by the mere fact that you knew where she was,” the agent said.

“I know a lot more than that,” Clements said.

Clements told the agents about an area on the other side of town that would answer another lingering question in the Celis case.

“This place is-is somewhere that you know, among many others that…we’d go to or they would go to to dump things. Say for instance and this is just all talking theoretically if somebody was to commit, burglary, theft, whatever… And you throw it away,” Clements said.

“Cause it’s just gonna, it’s just gonna link you to it so get rid of it the best you can?” the agent asked.

“Yeah,” the agent said.

The agents pressed to find out what could be at this alleged dumping site.

“It sounds like it’s possibly a murder weapon used in Celis case,” the agent said.

“Yeah,” Clements said.

Clements went on to say he was 99.9% sure it was the murder weapon.

Clements told the agents he did not know what the weapon was, but he could lead them to it.

“You want to be out and then maybe you will tell us,” the agent said.

“There is no maybe,” Clements said. “You guys think I’m going to run when I get out of here.”

“I mean, we want you out of here. I wish I could say hey, we’re the FBI, make this deal happen. We can’t. Prosecutors look at a different perspective. You know?” an agent said.

“I don’t care about the you know, like you said, you’re not a great guy. You’ve been involved in some criminal activity. I’m not here to talk about that. I don’t care about that. I’m here to talk about bringing somebody to justice for killing Isabel Celis,” one agent said.

“I mean she didn’t deserve it, right? She’s just a little girl,” said an agent.

“You’re singing to the choir,” Clements said.

Ultimately, Clements didn’t get that second deal and agents never found the alleged murder weapon.

What Clements didn’t know at the time was that he had said something to law enforcement during this Celis investigation that made him a suspect in the death of another Tucson girl.

You can listen to more of Clements’ interviews with the FBI on our original podcast, Disappeared in the Desert.

New episodes come out every Friday.

It’s available on SoundCloud, Apple and Google podcasts, and Spotify.

You can subscribe to get notified of new episodes.

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