Naman Shrestha
When 21-year-old Margarita Sanchez was murdered inside her car in 2015, the peace and quiet of the entire community was disturbed while her loved ones were engulfed by grief. The entire case is explored in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘Something About Him’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘American Monster.’ As the investigators dug deeper into the life of Margarita, some unsettling truths surfaced that led them to the perpetrator responsible for the crime. The episode also features interviews with the loved ones of the victim, providing lots more insightful information about the case.
Margarita Sanchez Lemus Was Found Dead in Her Car
Born on June 11, 1993, in San Luis Obispo, California, to Sergio Lemus and Margarita Sanchez, Margarita “Beba” Lemus Sanchez was not just blessed with loving parents but also understanding siblings, including two brothers, Sergio Lemus Jr. and Andres Lemus, and two sisters, Monica Terriquez and Noemi Lemus Sanchez. After completing her schooling in 2011 at South Sioux City Senior High School, Margarita bagged a job as a host at the Sioux City Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
When she crossed paths with Rogelio Morales, she felt a deep connection and decided that she wanted to spend her life with him. So, the two got married and entered parenthood by giving birth to their son, whom they named Christian. Being a devoted mother, she loved to spend time with her son. Besides that, her hobbies also included shopping for new outfits. Tragically, her life came to an abrupt end on April 19, 2015, in Sioux City. The authorities determined that she was strangled to death in her car, which was parked in the 2200 block of Floyd Boulevard, with the couple’s son sleeping in the back seat.
Jealousy Led to the Demise of Margarita Sanchez Lemus
After launching the investigation, the police directly contacted Margarita Sanchez Lemus’ husband, Rogelio Morales, who was near the scene of the crime. When questioned about what had transpired, he admitted that they had been involved in a heated argument after Margarita told him that she had been seeing someone else and that she wanted to leave him. As per him, he lost his cool and blacked out. The authorities then handcuffed him and took him into custody before interrogating him in the early hours of the following day. After questioning him for more than an hour, the police indicted and charged him with first-degree murder for strangling his wife to death in their car.
As the investigators dug deeper into the marriage of Margarita and Rogelio, they learned that the latter was a controlling and jealous figure in her life, which was confirmed by the victim’s sister, Monica Terriquez. She testified that a couple of weeks before she was killed, the couple argued in the basement of her house after he had gone through her phone. The following morning, Margarita confided in Monica and told her that her husband assaulted her the previous night. Monica testified, “She look at me and I was like, ‘What’s wrong?’ and she said ‘Rogelio hit me’ and I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ and she said, ‘Yeah he choked me and he was punching me in my face’ and I was like, ‘When?’ and she said ‘This morning’…I said okay and she said ‘I want to go to the cops’ and I got up.”
Upon questioning Jesse Morey, a former co-worker of Margarita at the Hard Rock Casino, the police learned that she had developed a close friendship with him after she told him that she was planning to get divorced. However, Jesse denied the allegations of them having sexual relationships. He further testified that on the fateful night, he had called her but her husband picked up and told him to leave his wife alone.
Rogelio Morales is Serving His Sentence at a Iowa Prison Facility While Awaiting Parole
Rogelio Morales pleaded not guilty to murdering his 21-year-old wife, Margarita Morales, in their car on April 19, 2015. In June 2017, he stood on trial for his crimes as the prosecution called upon various witnesses, including Monica, to describe his abusive and controlling behavior towards the victim. Her sister read out loud a letter the accused wrote a week after he allegedly hit her. It read, “I apologize a million times for what I did, I love you more than you’ll ever know babe. What I did is not me, it’s not who I am. I am sorry my love and please forgive me.” On the other hand, the defense claimed that the defendant had post-traumatic stress disorder.
Monica talked to the accused directly in court and told him that her mother would never forgive him. In response to the defense’s claims, she addressed the court, “That statement, we don’t believe it… at all because he has been through more traumatic stress or whatever he wants to call it because he was in the military. He’s seen worse. For someone to tell him, “I want a divorce,” or whatever her last words were, for that to cause him to do that, I just don’t believe it. I don’t believe not at all that he blacked out or that he doesn’t remember what happened that night.” In light of all the evidence against Rogelio, the jury returned with a guilty verdict and convicted Rogelio Morales of strangling his wife to death just a few days into the trial.
About a month later, on July 21, 2017, the convict received a 50-year imprisonment sentence for killing his wife. The court ordered that he had to serve at least 70 percent of his total sentencing before becoming eligible for parole. He then offered an apology to the loved ones of the victim. He stated, “I want to apologize to my wife’s family. I want to apologize to my family for putting both families through a lot for the last two years. I don’t remember what happened that night, and people may not believe that.” After his sentencing, he and his attorney filed an appeal, but the judge reviewed and denied it. As of today, Rogelio Morales is incarcerated at Clarinda Correctional Facility at 2000 North 16th Street in Clarinda, Iowa, with his parole eligibility date set for 2039.
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