Sept. 22, 2020
A tragic incident occurred in Laredo, Texas on September 22, 2020. A young woman named Muñoz, aged 31, who was a stay-at-home mother, sadly lost her life. Muñoz lived with her husband, Pellot, and their two young sons. Pellot made a distressing call to 911, expressing concern that Muñoz may have consumed some prescription pills and was not breathing. First responders rushed to the scene and made valiant efforts to save her life. Unfortunately, despite their best attempts, Muñoz was pronounced dead at 3:58 a.m. that day.
The first officer to arrive at the scene, Gregorio De La Cruz, shared with "48 Hours" that Pellot's behavior raised suspicions. There were certain aspects about the situation that didn't quite add up, leaving authorities with unanswered questions.
Police Bodycam Video
Officer De La Cruz from the Laredo Police Department responded to a 911 call, and his bodycam recorded the incident. In the video, Pellot, a nurse anesthetist, can be seen wearing teal surgical scrubs. Certain moments captured on the video raised suspicions for De La Cruz regarding Pellot's potential involvement in his wife's death.
The Pill Container
One of the key moments occurred when De La Cruz asked Pellot for the pills that Muñoz had supposedly taken. Pellot went to the bathroom, and De La Cruz heard him retrieve a container from the medicine cabinet. This struck De La Cruz as odd because, in his experience, when someone overdoses on drugs, the pills are usually found near the person. However, in this case, the clonazepam pills prescribed to Pellot were in another room.
Later on, the bodycam footage shows Pellot picking up the pill container from the floor and placing it in his pocket. De La Cruz questioned why Pellot would take the pills back and whether he was attempting to hide something.
Suspicious Behavior
In addition to Pellot's actions with the pill container, De La Cruz found his appearance to be suspicious. Pellot was observed sweating profusely through his scrubs, leading De La Cruz to suspect that he may have been under the influence of drugs.
Evidence at the scene
Investigators discovered a needle catheter on the stairs of the couple's home, leaving them puzzled. Joel Pellot and Maria Muñoz, who had two young children, questioned why there would be a needle in such an unusual place.
A medical bag
Along with the needle, first responders also found syringes and IV equipment inside a medical bag at the residence. These supplies are typically associated with medical settings, raising further questions about their presence in the couple's home, despite Pellot being a nurse anesthetist.
Police interview Joel Pellot
Joel Pellot was taken to the police station for questioning, where he displayed intense emotions, including crying, screaming, and throwing furniture in the interview room.
During the interview, Pellot informed lead investigator Sgt. Luis Mata that he had moved out of the house and was currently living with his girlfriend. He stated that he had visited Muñoz to discuss their marriage. Pellot admitted that the clonazepam pills found at the scene were consumed by his wife, and he claimed ownership of the medical supplies, attributing their presence to his personal use of steroids.
An unexplained pinprick mark
A notable red mark on Muñoz's right elbow crease puzzled investigators. Combined with concerned calls from friends, family, and colleagues of Pellot suggesting his involvement in Maria's death, this mark prompted Sgt. Luis Mata to request a toxicology screening.
Maria Muñoz's own words
Investigators found a series of journals Muñoz used to write about what was happening in her life. Through her writings, they discovered Muñoz loved her husband and wanted to keep her family together, but accepted that he wanted to be with someone else.
The medical examiner also looked at the journals and determined Muñoz's death was not a suicide.
Maria Muñoz's cellphone recordings
Muñoz secretly recorded a conversation on her cellphone that provided a glimpse on how Pellot was treating her. In the cellphone video, Muñoz is heard asking her husband what he wanted out of their marriage. She was trying to keep her family together, but Pellot didn't seem interested in having that conversation.
"Pray for me"
The day before she died, Muñoz told her friend, Yazmin Martinez, that she and Pellot were going to have a "heart to heart" conversation that night. Muñoz asked Martinez to pray for her, but not because she suspected her husband was capable of killing her. Martinez said all Muñoz was hoping for was an honest conversation with him.
A bombshell toxicology report
In January 2021, Mata and De La Cruz finally got the toxicology test results they had been waiting for. There was no clonazepam, the drug Pellot claimed Muñoz had taken. But there were seven other drugs in Muñoz's system: morphine, Demerol, Versed, Propofol, ketamine, lidocaine, and Narcan. Most of them are typically used during surgery.
"Maria's Team"
District Attorney Isidro Alaniz selected a team of attorneys to represent Muñoz: Karina Rios, Ana Karen Garza Gutierrez, Marisela Jacaman, and Cristal Calderon. Based on the evidence collected at the scene, the extensive writings in Muñoz's journals, interviews with friends, and expert accounts, they were convinced Pellot killed his wife.
A guilty verdict
The all-women prosecution team built a strong case against Joel Pellot, and showed the jury the type of wife and mother Maria Muñoz was. The prosecutors told "48 Hours" that Muñoz's journals helped them understand what she was going through and motivated them to fight for justice in her case.
On March 30, 2023, after nine days of trial, a jury found Joel Pellot guilty of murdering his wife Maria
Maria's journals were her testimony
"Maria's team" says the most important witness at trial ended up being Muñoz herself. Prosecutors shared with "48 Hours" that they could feel Maria's energy through her journals. They describe her as a great mother, loving and bright.
