EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Canutillo man will be spending 38 years in prison after accepting a plea deal.
On Aug. 27, Juan Manuel Guzman plead guilty to the murder of his estranged sister, Karla Mariela Marroquin.
Marroquin was found dead in the apartment she shared with Guzman on Feb. 3, 2022. Guzman was arrested and booked by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office after confessing to the crime.
According to District Attorney Bill Hicks, Marroquin was given up for adoption in Guatemala where she lived with her adopted mother up until Guzman smuggled Marroquin and her two children to the United States at an unknown date.
“Mr. Guzman had, shortly after they moved in, started to become controlling. He began a romantic relationship with her and the domestic violence followed shortly thereafter,” said Hicks during a news conference to discuss the negotiations.
“Mr. Guzman, on the second day of February, 2022, became very enraged. He believed that Ms. Marroquin had had a sexual relationship with another individual, and he beat her with a bat. He also had a there’s a large handheld massage or that was a plug in the wall kind of massager that he also beat her with. Pieces of that massager were found inside the apartment, and he beat her to death, leaving her body inside the apartment. He fled the scene, was later apprehended and eventually gave a confession to the facts of the case,” he said.
“In entering into the plea agreement, he has waived his appeal, he waived his motions to suppress. He has waived all other issues. This case is finalized with this entry of a plea agreement. He will be going away to prison and there will be no appeal. This case is finalized,” said Hicks.
Hicks said the DA’s Office had initially offered 40 years, despite feeling a trial by jury would give a verdict in excess of that number. The defense countered that with a sentencing of 30 to 35 years, ultimately both parties agreed to the final 38.
“I think that it is fair to understand the plea-bargaining process. Of course, with so many cases being filed, 8,000 cases on average in our felony courts a year and 11 felony courts, we have to negotiate cases. We have to offer plea agreements in order to keep the dockets moving,” explained Hicks.
“The children of Mr. Marroquin are relieved that they do not need to travel all the way from Guatemala to El Paso. They do not have to relive the abuse that they witnessed, and they are relieved that justice was served with Mr. Guzman going away to prison,” he said.
The Center Against Sexual and Family Violence provides services for victims of sexual and domestic violence regardless of their legal status. Assistance is available 24/7 through CASFV’s bilingual Hopeline at (915) 593-7300
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