As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Maria Eugenia Munoz with me today.

On September 22, 2020, 31-year-old Maria Muñoz, a stay-at-home mother in Laredo, Texas, was found unresponsive after her husband called 911 claiming she had overdosed. What seemed like a tragic accident soon revealed dark secrets.

Toxicology results uncovered seven powerful anesthetic drugs, including one typically administered only via IV and no evidence of the pill he claimed she took. Investigators learned Maria’s husband, Joel Pellot, a nurse anesthetist, had access to controlled substances and had deleted CCTV footage and tampered with the crime scene.

Maria’s own journals painted a different picture: she was preparing for a future, asking for “prayers” the night before their scheduled talk about their marriage.

In March 2023, after a nine-day trial, Pellot was found guilty of murder and evidence tampering, and sentenced to life in prison.