A Texas mother’s own words became a key part of testimony in her murder trial, helping convince jurors that she was murdered by her husband, according to a new “48 Hours” investigation.
Joel Pellot is serving a life sentence after being found guilty last March of the murder, in September 2020, of his 31-year-old wife and mother of his two young children, María Eugenia Muñoz.
At first glance, Muñoz’s death appeared to be a suicide by pill overdose, but pages and pages of his diary entries indicate that he did not have any suicidal thoughts.
Instead, the diaries revealed a woman who hoped to move on after the husband she loved dearly had cheated on her, the CBS show revealed.
Pellot, a nurse anesthetist, called 911 in the early morning hours of September 22, 2020 to report that his wife of 10 years was unresponsive and may have overdosed on pills.
Pellot had been cheating on his wife for two years with a woman from work. CBS News María Eugenia Muñoz was murdered with a lethal injection by her husband in September 2020. CBS News
But the police immediately became suspicious of Pellot’s behavior and explanation of the events that led to his wife’s death. The man was sweating profusely and could not answer simple questions about when and how he found his Muñoz.
They also found a syringe wrapper on the floor and a catheter with a needle on the stairs.
Investigators soon learned that he had been dating a woman at work named Janet Arredondo for the past two years and was living with her at the time.
He told police that Muñoz had known about their relationship “for a long time,” according to “48 Hours.”
They later learned that the medical examiner found no pill residue in his stomach, but did find a small puncture mark in the crease of his right elbow.
The medical examiner found no pill residue in Muñoz’s stomach, but noted a small puncture mark on his right arm. CBS News
The medical examiner determined that Muñoz died of intoxication from a mixture of drugs, but ruled out suicide after reviewing the young mother’s diary entries and talking to her friends.
The day before he died, Muñoz wrote: “What do I want? #1 Move forward,” according to the news program.
Pellot’s former boss, anesthesiologist Dr. John Huntsinger, learned of the autopsy results and called the lead detective on the case to tell him he was suspicious. He advised investigators to conduct a full toxicology screen.
Four months later, the results came back and revealed that Muñoz died from a fatal combination of morphine, Demerol, Versed, propofol, ketamine, lidocaine and Narcan, almost all the medications typically used in surgery and that a nurse anesthetist would have. access.
Propofol is the only drug in his system that is only administered by injection.
There was so much in his system that it would have caused him to stop breathing, according to Huntsinger and the toxicology report.
It was also one of the drugs Pellot took home from work to use recreationally, according to Arredondo, his lover, “48 Hours” reported.
Pellot’s behavior and statements to police immediately after his wife’s death appeared suspicious, investigators said. LAREDO POLICE DEPARTMENT
Prosecutors believe Pellot first slipped some of the drugs into Muñoz’s drink to sedate her and once she came out, he injected the propofol into her arm and waited to call 911 so first responders couldn’t resuscitate her.
Days before her death, Muñoz and Pellot argued after she saw his car parked outside Arredondo’s home. Pellot berated his wife, cursed her and punched the windshield, breaking it.
The next morning, Muñoz texted her husband about hiring a divorce lawyer and he responded: “We can do this with minimal involvement from a lawyer. It’s too much money”.
But then he sent him an email asking him to sit down and talk without arguing “heart to heart.”
“I’m so sad it hurts inside,” she wrote in the email.
The couple agreed to meet Monday night. Muñoz died early the next morning.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn