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[Music] [Music] I was the address of emergency I call my wife on responses she's not
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breathing she may have taken some some pills okay what is your [Music] [Applause]
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address when we get the alert tone they say it's an overdose they're saying that
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he's performing CPR oh is somebody [Music] coming he's on his third fourth fth cycle and that's when I get to the
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house I'm Officer gorio De La Cruz I was the first officer on the scene hello what's going on M subject shows up
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at the door and he just turns around and darts into the residence I can see him heading up the stairs I just see his
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shadow from the light that's on so I follow him what's going on he's helping giving
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CPR he's wearing scrubs so I believe he's a higher level of care than I can provide and I ask him you want me to
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help do I help you and he right away relinquishes giving CPR what did she take I think Flynn has a p
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she's been pretty depressed lately I don't see any drugs usually when somebody overdoses on
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drugs the pills are nearby the needle nearby the syringe something's nearby and nothing
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was I'm probably at the scene within the next 30 to 45 minutes I'm Sergeant Luis MAA Jr I was
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the lead detective in the case then I start trying trying to get information from him and I noticed him not answering
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fully and when I asked him what's going on Joel he goes well I live a very private life and those questions are
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something that I don't want coming out Maria had been seeking help through the church through a pastor wasn't she
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also being treated for severe depression and anxiety she had been getting some medical attention as well but this case
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was unique because she was also expressing her thoughts her feelings her emotions in a
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diary my fears are losing my family losing my husband damaging my kids making the wrong choice as the da my job
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was putting the right team together to work this case she described that she was going
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through a tough time but that she loved those kids and she couldn't wait to do more in the
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future I want to be a good mom a mom that is present engaged and involved with my kids how important how crucial
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were those journals very she wasn't a drug abuser she loved those kids she would never leave them
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behind there's no [Music] way [Music] [Music] in the early morning hours of September
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22nd 2020 when Laredo Police Officer gregoria De La Cruz walked inside the home on
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Kenyon Oak Drive his body camera was is recording the emergency unfolding in front of
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him what's going on at the top of the stairs near the main bedroom helel poo dressed in teal surgical scrubs was
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performing CPR on his wife Maria Munoz the La Cruz soon took over we sometimes zoom into the body cam footage to avoid
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graphic material what kind of shape was she in when you started giving her SE she was warm she was still warm to touch
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while Dill Cruz desperately tried to revive Maria he asked her husband about the drugs haa told the 911 operator his
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wife may have taken some pills he stands up he goes to the restroom he opens a medicine cabinet I can I can tell all
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this cuz I hear it I'm not really sure upon his return he hands D Cruz a pill container a
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Kazaam is a drug that is often used to treat anxiety it had been prescribed to hell not to his wife Maria D La Cruz
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quickly tossed the pill container aside to continue CPR H told D La Cruz that Maria had been struggling lately she's
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been super depressed how told the officer that the couple's two young Sons were still in separate bedrooms nearby
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here sleep yeah seemingly unaware of what was happening to their mother Maria she would like to take her
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children to the park she read to them before they went to bed just a really dedicated mother yazn Martinez says her
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friend Maria adored her boys 5-year-old Alejandro and Valentino who was turning two I am happy I am happy Maria enjoyed
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being a s home mom take 1,000 she was learning to play the piano and planning to resume her career
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I asked her if she had gone to school and she said yes she was a nurse in Puerto Rico and she's like I'm actually
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studying to take my test so I could work here it was in Puerto Rico where Maria met howel peot he was 11 years older and
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a nursing student a few years after they married the couple moved to Laredo Texas
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Howell had landed a lucrative job as a nurse anesthetist known in the medical profession as a CRNA a nurse anesthetist
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or a CRNA certified registered nurse anesthetist and a physician anesthesiologist use the same medication
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same techniques to provide anesthesia for people of all ages Tina dores also a CRNA work with Howell peot at doctor's
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hospital in Laro did he seem dedicated to his work yes very much so he he always wanted to be better when I first
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met him he was very family oriented a hard worker smart guy he would always talk about Maria and Alejandro and
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showing pictures of his son and just talking about family life in general and now at the payot home
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paramedics and police were struggling to save the life of the young wife and mother when more help arrived de Cruz
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sent H peo downstairs to the kitchen and that's when D La Cruz realized that the
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pill container he had tossed to the side earlier hey there were some drugs here was now missing he had a prescription
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drug where is it I was like he has to have them so that's when I ask hey does he have pills he comes up to the first
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landing of the stairs and he tosses them to me all right so he had taken him now I'm
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thinking now you're trying to hide something at 3:58 lesson 3 hours after helel peota call
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911 his wife 31-year-old Maria Munos was declared dead inside their home what's going on what happened
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police began asking how what had happened to his wife we had sex we took a shower then I I thought she was like
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knocked out and then I go back upstairs and then she just by now things just didn't feel
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right to the investigators and there was something about Howell's appearance that
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seemed suspicious he was really sweaty I'm wearing a vest I'm wearing a gun I'm wearing almost 20 pounds of gear right
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and I'm not sweating as bad as he is so what went through your mind when you saw
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how sweaty he was he's using drugs he may be on the influence of drugs you want to see a fire truck come
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on let's go outside the couple's children now in the care of law enforcement what's your name were
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escorted outside my name is Alejandro Alejandro authorities immediately launched a death
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investigation when I get there um I meet with Officer De La Cruz he runs the information by me lead investigator
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Sergeant Luis mat didn't know if Maria had died by su suicide an accidental overdose or if her husband was somehow
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involved Ma knew he needed to search the house but to do it he would have to get
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hoel bot's permission and he said well I don't want you going through my stuff cuz I'm a very private man then I said
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look Joel I'm not going to force you to this is your right but I'm going to have
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to go and get with my da and apply for a search warrant yeah leave those Howell eventually gave consent for the search
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still ma had a lot of questions to get some answers he directed authorities to put how in a police
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cruiser to take him to the station could you see him before you went in I could see him through my
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camera everything's there is recorded he's hitting walls he's moving furniture it was scaring some of the people down
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the hall in the dispatch room so that's how loud it was holding up around 4:00 a.m. ma begins his
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interview with helel peot who claims he had given Maria that container of claz aam prescribed to him is it possible
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that she swallowed them [Applause] all how many pills were there before I don't know
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medals I agre he couldn't remember the minorous things I don't know how many times I asked him play back to me the
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minute you got there what did you do and he well what did I do what did I do what
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did I do well you know what if you remember the truth you don't have to think about
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it what was the time period between the time you got out of the shower to when you noticed say she's not really
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responding anymore 10 minutes not 100% sure the sudden death of a healthy 31-year-old Woman Like Maria Munoz
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didn't make sense to Sergeant Louise Mata and neither did her husband helel pe's explanation
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his initial statement was that he went in and took a shower he thought she was asleep and then 10 minutes later he
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realizes that she's unresponsive unresponsive on the bed when a common person showers what's going to be in the
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bathroom steam condensation the smell of soap or shampoo that master bedroom shower which
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is the one that he alleged to use was as dry as a desert investigators had also discovered a syringe wrapper on the
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floor hey there's a needle right here and a needle catheter on the stairs syringes
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and IV equipment in a medical bag were found inside the home why would there be syringes in the house so like I don't
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know then H makes a hand gesture and Taps his bicep me with h peot at the police
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station Maria's close friend Angela Montoya and her husband Louis Ayala rushed over to the house to take care of
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the kids Louise A co-worker of H says he had begun to see changes in H's physique
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and personality two years before Maria's death he lose our weight and then start
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gaining muscles did you suspect that maybe he was taking steroids maybe maybe he was changing like more friendly with
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girls flirting more yeah the family man who had once bragged a friend and colleagues about his wife and kids began
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changing his social media post too he deleted the pictures of Maria or he just started posting everything by himself
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not with his kids how in demand as a nurse anesthetist was making a lot of money and according to Angela he enjoyed
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showing off his wealth he has this new sporty car I bought Maria that one and I bought myself this one bragging about it
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but friends the changes they saw in haah went much deeper in 2018 around the same
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time Maria gave birth to the couple's Second Son ha began pursuing a woman named Janet Arondo a surgical nurse he
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met at work Joelle took Janet to like a vacation spree in Europe I don't recall which countries were that he took well
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there was one trip there was Spain and then the next trip was France and Greece there you go there you go so Maria found
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out about that while he was there with Janet according to Angela Maria confirmed her suspicion about her
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husband's infidelity when she found a plane ticket for one of his European trips when her disappointment turned
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into deep depression she was prescribed medication but perhaps the best medicine
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for Maria turned out to be her daily journals discovered in her home by investigators
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I don't want to be sad anymore I don't want my heart to hurt I don't want my mind to be in torture yet at times she
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seemed hopeful believing her faith could mend the couple's 10-year marriage Lord this is a lot for me all I
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really want to do is see change in him and it seemed to be working just months after her husband had taken his mistress
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on those European vacations wild treated Maria to a lavish getaway in Las Vegas and she showed me a couple of Louis
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Vuitton he purchased for her but what seemed like a second chance for her marriage didn't last H could never quite
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leave Janet how long have you been with Janette about 2 years so out of those two years how long has Maria known about
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it she for a while for a long while okay in fact Howell told Sergeant ma that he no
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longer Liv with his family and that he had moved in with Janet Arondo 5 months before Maria's death ma wondered how
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much The Other Woman knew and asked her to come to the police station to talk what is your relationship with her I
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wouldn't have called you at 6:30 in the morning if it was just for for being nosy it's not that I'm trying to be nosy
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but I'll get to where I'm going um he's he's my boyfriend ma continued pressing Janet about how have you ever reive and
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then told her about Maria the reason that I'm here is because last night H's wife passed away
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it doesn't appear to be right now any type of Foul Play we're still pending on autopsy let's get with how did you and H
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even start dating I'm sorry um I understand take your time I know it's all kind of thrown at
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you so you know I told you at the very beginning I'm going to be honest with you so I am ouring thing now is
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obviously is what happened um I'm teror about with your question how when did how long have you and ho been
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dating um almost 2 years now okay did Maria and his wife did she do drugs not that I'm aware of he just told me that
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he she was very depressed when Sergeant ma mentioned Maria may have overdosed Janet seemed
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surpris wa a minute are are you saying she overdose we don't know yet the main thing is this Janet is when we tell her
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family you're going to think that either Joel did killed her or that you had something to do with it that's why we
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have to rule you out okay has Joel ever confided in you that he was that he wanted to do something to his wife no
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haala don't believe that Maria may have overdosed on the drug Clen aapam he think she took but when the autopsy was
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conducted 8 hours after Maria was declared dead the medical examiner found no pill residue in her stomach and there
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was something on Maria's body at the scene that puzzled both the medical examiner and investigators a tiny mark
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on Maria's right arm it was a little little prick kind of like whenever you the common person draws blood or has
00:19:00
their blood checked when they go to the doctor one little dot that's it on her right elbow crease no other signs of
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drug use or anything like that the autopsy report states that Maria died from a mixed drug
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intoxication while the medical examiner couldn't say how the drugs got into her system she did rule out suicide after
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talking to Maria's friends and reading her journal on the day before she died Maria wrote what is it that I want move
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forward so could Maria's death have been an accidental overdose or was it murder when Dr John Hunsinger an
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anesthesiologist and how's former boss heard the autopsy results he immediately became
00:19:52
suspicious and I called detective Ma and I told him my concerns he urged Sergeant
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mat to order a detailed toxicology screening to determine which drugs had killed
00:20:06
Maria and how they got there did you inject her tonight no with anything authorities would have to wait
00:20:17
nearly four months to get the answers they needed on a Sunday afternoon at the First
00:20:39
Baptist Church in Laredo the Victorious Life is is also a life of service all of
00:20:44
our lives were impacted by the precious life of Maria a large crowd of family and friends came to mourn Maria Munoz
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including her estranged husband how her funeral was really sad H was there and he was crying he seemed very upset very
00:21:05
sad but to Maria's friend Yasmin Martinez he seemed a little too upset too sad what made me feel angry with him
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near the casket crying over her giving her kisses like why now you have made her suffer and cry so much and you're
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doing this now helel pe's display of grief hey you got with theator did nothing to deter the
00:21:35
investigation into his wife's death Sergeant Luis mat and Officer gregoria De La Cruz say the footage captured by
00:21:44
the body cam on the morning Maria died shows something curious remember the pills in a container that hell said his
00:21:52
wife had taken D La Cruz tossed it aside when he was giving Maria CPR he had a prescription drug where is it at some
00:22:01
point it disappeared yeah I see it's still here right now exactly and here's how it
00:22:08
happened they say how grabs the pill container and puts it in his pocket reach it and put it in he just
00:22:16
reached over and put it right back in the shirt if that's really what she took why would you want to hide that they
00:22:22
were also suspicious of that needle catheter hey there's a needle right here so the kind used for IVs discovered at
00:22:30
the scene remember Maria had a tiny mark on her right arm Sergeant M shared his concerns with the Webb County District
00:22:39
Attorney's office we have a 247 phone and law enforcement can contct us with any questions Chief assistant DA
00:22:47
Marisella jackaman and district attorney Isidro alenes knew the case would be tough to prove since even the medical
00:22:56
examiner wasn't sure exactly how Maria died the medical examiner is saying I can't say for a fact this is homicide I
00:23:06
remember having this conversation with the Med medical examiner early on and I I remember her saying look I wasn't
00:23:13
there and neither were you all we know is that she has this combination of dangerous drugs in her bloodstream we
00:23:21
don't know who gave them to her if she had some in her system already if she took some later on either accident or
00:23:30
murder accident or murder investigators began to question Maria's friends and discovered that the Saturday before
00:23:37
Maria died there was a confrontation at Janet's house when Maria saw H's car there so that's when she stepped out of
00:23:47
the car and then she rang the doorbell according to Angela Maria seen on Janet's doorbell camera gave Howell an
00:23:56
ultimatum do you choose her or you choose me and then he says I choose Janet Janet called the police and when a
00:24:04
responding officer arrived at her home he called Maria who had by then left with Howell when Maria answered her cell
00:24:12
phone the officer's body cam recorded the sound of hoow berating her in the background hey I'm talking to you right
00:24:24
now I guess that's your boyfriend yeah according to Angela Maria told her that H became violent and he got so
00:24:34
frustrated with everything that he punch the windshield he broke it he broke it yes he broke it on Sunday morning Maria
00:24:41
texted her husband about hiring a divorce lawyer and he replied we can do this with minimal lawyer intervention
00:24:50
it's too much money how then seems to have had a change of heart and sends Maria this email I'm so sad I'm hurting
00:24:59
inside I want to sit down with you to talk without arguing a heart to heart they agreed to meet Monday night before
00:25:08
H arrived Maria messaged her friend Yasmin Martinez to pray for her I just asked if you can pray for me tonight
00:25:17
we're going to talk and then I answered her and I told her that I would pray for
00:25:22
her Maria's request for prayers that night would be her final message to Yasmin she died early Tuesday
00:25:34
morning nearly four months after Maria's death sergeant maada and officer D Cruz
00:25:40
finally get the Toxicology test results they have been waiting for zero Clen aapam zero Kazaam the drug how claim
00:25:51
Maria had taken instead the toxicology report revealed seven other drugs in Maria system so positive for morphine
00:26:02
Demerol veret propal ketamine lidocaine Naran most of these medications are typically used during surgery and one of
00:26:15
them can only be administered with an IV what was your reaction he killed her this guy killed his
00:26:24
wife authorities got a warrant Officer De La Cruz who had tried to save Maria's life returned to hoel's home he knew why
00:26:35
we were there to make the arrest by the time we knock on the door and we announce our presence you the right Sil
00:26:42
just like the way you do the movies comes out I'm here I'm here he puts his hands behind his back lets us cuff him
00:26:48
doesn't put up a fight H was taken to the police station and booked you can call my uh my
00:26:55
attorney oh you could call him prosecutors believe he was the one who gave his wife the deadly mixture but can
00:27:02
they prove he wanted her to [Music] die what do you think was the most suspicious aspect of Maria's death see
00:27:13
more evidence from the case at 48 hours.com when helel pe's former boss anesthesiologist Dr John Hunsinger saw
00:27:33
the list of drugs found in Maria Muno seven different medications he was surprised by One Drug in
00:27:42
particular I was very shocked to see propal where would he get that propal you can't just go to the drugstore to
00:27:50
get propal you have to get it from the hospital While most of the drugs found in Maria's system could be consumed by
00:27:57
mouth propal is usually injected by someone else with an IV one of the things about propal it relaxes you
00:28:06
greatly but it doesn't last very long it makes you stop breathing if you have too
00:28:11
much I think most of us when we hear about propol we think of Michael Jackson correct singer Michael Jackson's death
00:28:19
in June 2009 was blamed in part on an accidental overdose of propal and after Maria Muno his death a highly elevated
00:28:29
level of the drug was found in her system hers was the highest level I've seen and what does that say to you I
00:28:38
believe this is death by propal with howel peot now under arrest authorities were convinced that pe's
00:28:46
girlfriend Janet Arondo knew more than what she shared in that first interview so they got a search warrant
00:28:55
for her home the then they offered her a deal in exchange for more information Janet would get immunity from
00:29:05
prosecution Janet agreed to a second police interview and accompanied by attorneys she now seemed ready to talk
00:29:14
did Joel ever bring home any medical drugs yes Janet told police that peot had often brought drugs to her home some
00:29:22
for his own recreational use including ketamine morphine lidocaine Fentanyl and more
00:29:36
propol Janet's information about propal kicked the case into high gear district attorney idro Alan selected a team of
00:29:47
attorneys led by Marisella jackaman I am Kina riio my name is Anna Karen Garza my
00:29:52
name is chist Calderon we are Maria's Team all four prosecutors were convinced that Maria's husband had methodically
00:30:00
planned her murder and that the devoted mother and wife had suffered in the months before her death I've heard of
00:30:08
emotional abuse I've seen it I've worked around it but I never realized how prevalent it is even in our
00:30:19
lives where you can relate to some of the things that Maria was experiencing on the face of it this is a couple
00:30:27
having problems he's having an affair but to you this is domestic violence how well I think it goes so much further
00:30:35
than just being a spouse you could see the power struggle that existed or the the lack thereof assistant district
00:30:43
attorney Karina Rios Maria had no power in this relationship and the evidence of
00:30:48
that prosecutors say is found in Maria's own journals prosecutor Jackman read one
00:30:54
of those entries life is so so unfair my husband the man I love so much is causing me so much pain I want to know
00:31:04
what is it that you want me to do Maria also left evidence on her cell phone that she secretly recorded approximately
00:31:12
4 months before her death what are the expectations you have on this this marriage and she gave us this very
00:31:20
powerful video you walk out that door we're getting a do worse all right fine got it she was having a discussion with
00:31:33
him and that was so painful to watch but prosecutors would need much more than that video and Maria's journal entries
00:31:44
how do they believe that hel peot dosed his wife with all those drugs that was a
00:31:49
million-dollar question we kept saying how did he get her to submit to this during Janet arad's second police
00:32:00
interview she said peot had told her about the night Maria died he had gone there he said to have that heart-to-
00:32:07
heart talk and then injected her not to kill her peot said but to calm her down why did he tell you that he
00:32:15
injected her cuz she was eretic right he wanted to um just Cal it out so he did it with medication
00:32:28
but investigators believe the sedatives were part of pe's plan to kill Maria that before PE put an IV needle in
00:32:36
Maria's arm he could have slipped several sedative drugs into her favorite drink coffee
00:32:43
ketamine foret morphine and Demerol those four could have been put in her coffee she did then passes out after
00:32:59
that they say peot injected Maria with a deadly dose of propal then Chief assistant district attorney Anna Karin
00:33:07
Garza Gutierrez says the peot deliberately waited to call for help I believe he waited until she was dead to
00:33:15
call 911 to make sure that no one can bring her back did you play any role in Mario's dead at all
00:33:24
you Janet said peot did admit to her that he got rid of some of the medical equipment he used to inject Maria before
00:33:32
First Responders arrived he just told me he got rid of them peot was out on bail
00:33:38
so prosecutors had him rearrested and along with murder he was charged with tampering with evidence again he may
00:33:46
bail and would wear an ankle monitor in March 2023 2 and 1/2 years after Maria munoz's
00:33:56
death death her husband went on trial for her murder 48 Hours made several interview
00:34:03
requests to H peot defense team but never received a response while peot declined our request for an interview
00:34:12
the evidence will show that h p the motive he had the intent and he had the means to come Mia
00:34:23
prosecutors presented 15 witnesses to prove to jury the peot had carefully and intentionally selected the drugs to kill
00:34:32
Maria their star witness Janet Arondo who told the jury what she had shared with police did Mr Po indicate to you
00:34:45
that he dumped or discarded the I CER on the bio yes when the defense case begins
00:34:52
H pe's lawyers admit their client injected his wife but they say he wasn't trying to kill
00:34:59
her he was trying to save [Music] her H peot wearing a blue suit and a dark gray tie listen carefully as his
00:35:25
defense team presents at his case now Maria died and there's no question the Joel was there defense
00:35:37
attorney Roberto Bali claims Maria was terribly depressed and had been drinking and abusing drugs for months when Joe
00:35:46
arrived Maria was already on something according to the defense H peo didn't intend to kill his wife and the
00:35:56
proof is attorne ATT say is in that toxicology report they admit PE gave his wife medication to calm her down and
00:36:04
then when he found her unconscious they say he gave her Naran a drug used to reverse an opioid overdose someone tried
00:36:13
to bring her back to life and it wasn't the paramedics it wasn't the police it was O so he did not want her
00:36:21
dead this was a terrible accident a terrible accident the defense argues that was caused by a combination
00:36:30
of whatever Maria had taken and the medication peot used to inject her how do you know that naram wasn't there
00:36:38
because he tried to save her that he went too far realized he had gone too far Naran is not a reversal agent for
00:36:46
propol and propal was What stopped her heart at the end the defense never explained to the jury how the propal got
00:36:55
into Maria's system but prosecutors say that the level of drugs discovered in Maria's body could not have been
00:37:02
accidental it was enough medication to survive two major surgeries it was so much and why do you think he gave her so
00:37:12
much to be sure while peyote himself didn't testify his emotional mother did Miriam kisio
00:37:25
told prosecutors during cross examination that Maria had talked about how sad she was about her marriage you
00:37:33
were aware that was weren't you yes she told who told you and did you encourage her to stay in
00:37:45
the marriage I I told her that everybody have a limited and she have a limited when she decided that she don't want to
00:38:00
be no more with him I had my house open but prosecutors insist as sad as Maria may have been
00:38:09
about her marriage there's no evidence that she abused either drugs or alcohol they believe pe's motive was
00:38:19
money and that he murdered Maria because he didn't want to pay for a divorce and
00:38:24
split his assets after 8 days of testimony the jury got the case it took them less than an hour
00:38:33
to decide hel pe's fate guilty of murdering his wife Maria and tampering with the
00:38:44
evidence many members of the medical community attended the trial pe's former colleague Tina dores he's not dumb I
00:38:54
mean he's a smart guy so I don't know if if he just got caught up with his God complex that he thought he was smarter
00:39:01
than everyone and that he was going to outsmart them just hours after the guilty verdict
00:39:07
peot was sentenced to life in prison cuffed and escorted out of the courtroom she loved him and she adored
00:39:18
him Maria's friend Angela Montoya she just loved them too much prosecutors got just is for Maria
00:39:28
but it's a tragic ending for the family she loved and fought so hard to keep together I think sometimes the worst
00:39:36
injuries don't even leave a mark the injuries on your heart on your mind we could never see those on Maria but she
00:39:44
told us about them she carried a lot of scars with her from this relationship Maria's team say the most
00:39:53
important witness of trial ended up being Maria herself and that her journals showed those scars were healing
00:40:02
I want a life that's mine different and unique A Life That's balanced with every
00:40:08
emotion but a happy fulfilling life she was a wonderful soul and she was a great
00:40:19
mother she was just an amazing person and that energy we felt it [Music] [Music]
00:40:42
she disappeared off the face of the earth I started believing she was murdered the dogs went into the backyard
00:40:48
we found a little girl shoe no trace of her for 22 years and then I got a phone call hey uh C he says you sitting down
00:40:56
28 hours Saturday at 109 Central on [Music] CBS