Maria Munoz Flores was 77 when she died in El Paso, Texas, on August 3, 2019. Initial reports about her death were unclear, but investigators later concluded she had been murdered. Maria’s estranged husband, Joel Pellot, a nurse anesthetist, was a central figure in the inquiry. He told authorities he found her unresponsive and believed she had overdosed on prescription pills, but evidence at the scene and entries in Maria’s journal suggested foul play and contradicted the idea that she took her own life.

Investigators say Joel Pellot injected Maria with a sedative that led to her death. He was arrested and charged with her murder; the case proceeded to trial and resulted in a conviction with a life sentence. Maria’s death has been described by those involved as a tragic domestic homicide that underlined concerns about domestic abuse and the need to examine suspicious deaths carefully.

If anyone knew Maria, her routines, or saw anything in El Paso around August 3, 2019, please share what might help explain what happened.