5 key details about Giselle Esteban's crime 

Oxygen revisits the shocking case of Giselle Esteban in Snapped season 18, episode 6, which re-airs tonight, Monday, September 22, 2025, at 10 PM ET on Oxygen. Originally aired on September 11, 2016, the episode examines the tragic 2011 murder of 26-year-old nursing student Michelle Le.

What began as a missing persons case soon revealed a tale of obsession and betrayal, as investigators uncovered how Giselle Esteban, Le’s former high school friend, murdered Le in a fit of jealousy and resentment. The episode traces Le’s disappearance, the investigation, and Esteban’s eventual conviction for first-degree murder.

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Giselle Esteban's crime: 5 details from the case

1. The relationship between Giselle Esteban and Michelle Le

Michelle Le was a 26-year-old nursing student at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, California, completing her clinical rotations at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward. She was friends with Giselle Esteban, who also grew up in San Diego and attended Mt. Carmel High School with Le. However, their relationship deteriorated over the years.

The hostility stemmed from Esteban’s long and tumultuous relationship with her former boyfriend, Scott Marasigan. The couple shared a daughter, but following custody battles, Esteban lost custody of her daughter in 2010. Following this, she grew increasingly isolated and unstable and was mistrustful of Le and Marasigan's continued friendship.

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2. Disappearance of Michelle Le

Esteban's growing obsession and anger with Le and Marasigan resulted in a tragic event in 2011. On May 27, 2011, Michelle Le disappeared after leaving the Kaiser Hayward parking garage. Her sudden disappearance triggered immediate concern, and a search was conducted to find her.

However, from the very beginning, investigators suspected foul play involving Esteban. Surveillance video placed her at the parking garage around the same time Le disappeared. Moreover, blood was later found on a pair of sneakers belonging to Esteban. Cellphone records also showed that both Le’s and Esteban’s phones traveled along the same routes in the hours following Le's disappearance.

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3. Discovery of Le's body and confirmation of a homicide case

The search for Michelle Le lasted nearly four months and gained extensive media coverage. Her remains were finally discovered on September 17, 2011, in a remote canyon between Pleasanton and Sunol.

Le was found four months after her disappearance (Image via Getty)

The condition and location of the body confirmed what investigators had long believed. Michelle Le’s disappearance was not a missing persons case but a homicide driven by deep-seated jealousy and premeditated malice, as reported by ABC.

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4. Arrest and trial of Giselle Esteban

Even before Le’s body was recovered, authorities had enough evidence to arrest Giselle Esteban. On September 7, 2011, she was formally taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. The trial began in 2012, with prosecutors laying out a compelling case of calculated revenge and obsession.

Deputy District Attorney Butch Ford emphasized Esteban’s stalking behavior, her premeditated presence at the hospital, and the forensic evidence linking her to the crime scene. In contrast, the defense did not dispute that Esteban killed Le. Instead, they argued the crime happened in the “heat of passion,” provoked by emotional turmoil over Marasigan and Le’s friendship that pushed Esteban past her breaking point.

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5. Esteban was found guilty and sentenced for her crimes

Despite the defense's argument, the jury found that the murder was intentional and premeditated. On October 29, 2012, Giselle Esteban was found guilty of first-degree murder. According to ABC, Esteban was later sentenced on December 10, 2012, to 25 years to life in prison.

For Michelle Le’s family, the conviction and sentencing provided a measure of justice and closure. As per CBS, Le's brother described the verdict as lifting a heavy burden off the family. Prosecutors and law enforcement praised the persistence of investigators and the community’s support throughout the case.

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The case of Michelle Le and Giselle Esteban is explored on Oxygen's Snapped.

Edited by Sneha Haldar