Hector Ramon Martinez-Ayala, a 54-year-old man from Tooele, Utah, was charged with the murder of his daughter, Marbella Martinez, who was a Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputy. Martinez-Ayala confessed in a text message to his brother before fleeing the country and using his daughter’s bank card to withdraw money. The victim had moved out of her father’s house due to his obsessive behavior, which included stalking and surveillance. The charges alleged that the behavior had been ongoing for months and was more akin to that of a jealous lover than a father. Martinez-Ayala placed a tracking device on his daughter’s vehicle and used it to find her with a romantic interest. On July 31, he strangled her when she returned home, disabling security cameras on the property before fleeing the country. He was eventually caught on camera passing through customs in another country. Martinez’s body was found on August 1 after police were called to do a welfare check. In addition to murder, Martinez-Ayala faces charges related to obstruction of justice, stealing a bank card, stalking, and identity theft. He does not have a listed attorney, and efforts to contact him have been unsuccessful.
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Prosecutors: Utah Sheriff’s Deputy Was Stalked and Killed by Her Father
