Tooele man killed daughter, then admitted ‘unforgivable sin,’ charges say
Sep 6, 2024, 2:54 PM | Updated: 11:01 pm
TOOELE — The father of a Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputy who was considered a person of interest in her death has now been charged with murder.
Hector Ramon Martinez-Ayala, 54, of Tooele, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; two counts of obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; stalking and unlawful possession of a bank card, third-degree felonies; and two counts of unlawful use of a bank card and unlawful possession of someone else’s identification, class A misdemeanors.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Martinez-Ayala, who police believe went into hiding after allegedly sending a family member an ominous text message before the murder was discovered.
‘An unforgivable sin’
Martinez-Ayala is accused of killing Marbella Martinez, 25, his daughter and a Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputy whose body was found the morning of Aug. 1 in the house they shared, 1224 E. 970 North in Tooele. An autopsy determined she died by strangulation.
But investigators believe Martinez-Ayala has since fled the country, and Tooele police are now calling for any family or friends who may have helped Martinez-Ayala escape to step forward with information.
Corporal Colbey Bentley told KSL TV Friday that they’ve worked on the case day and night for the past month, gathering evidence and waiting for test results.
Detectives poured through data that included cell phone records, bank statements, and surveillance camera footage at various locations locally and internationally, laying out what they found in court documents.
Martinez-Ayala sent a text to his brother just after 4:30 p.m. on July 31, stating: “My brother, you know (how) much I love you, I made a big mistake, an unforgivable sin, now I’m too scared and I don’t know what to do. I think I will never come back,” according to charging documents.
Based on Martinez-Ayala’s phone records, investigators believe he went to the Salt Lake City International Airport after the killing and disposed of his daughter’s cellphone on the way to the airport. It was found along the side of I-80.
“He then flew to San Francisco … then to Houston,” the charges state. “There are no cell records after the defendant left Houston, but (he) used his twin brother’s identification when he landed in another country and is seen on surveillance video. (Martinez-Ayala’s) whereabouts are unknown, but his last known location was outside of the United States.”
‘A troubling pattern’
Martinez-Ayala “was becoming increasingly obsessed and controlling” with his daughter, investigators determined after reviewing his text messages, which court records stated were “more of the nature of a jealous lover than a father.”
Family members accuse deputy’s father of killing her in Tooele home
“We’re seeing that there was a troubling pattern, that Mr. Ayala displayed up until this point culminated in his daughter’s death,” Bentley explained.
Police said Martinez-Ayala’s troubling behavior escalated during 2024. In February, Marbella Martinez found a bag of her underwear in her father’s room. In mid-July, the man “purchased a tracking device and hidden spy cameras” and placed the tracking device on his daughter’s car, according to the charges.
“He went through quite a bit to find out where she was, where she was going at different times,” Bentley said.
On July 29 — two days before the killing — Martinez-Ayala tracked his daughter to Bates Canyon where he found her with “her romantic interest,” the charges stated. After that confrontation, Martinez did not return home, but rather stayed in a hotel until July 31.
Surveillance video collected by police shows Martinez returned to her father’s house about 11 a.m. on July 31. The last video of Martinez was recorded by an indoor camera at 12:23 p.m. as she walked upstairs. At 2:17 pm, Martinez-Ayala pulled up to the home in his truck, the charges state.
“Any video after (his) arrival at 2:17 p.m. July 31 was deleted or never existed because of the disabling of the cameras after his arrival,” the charging documents allege.
Marbella Martinez’s body was discovered in her bedroom on top of her bed. “Blood was observed in the victim’s mouth and there were visible apparent fingernail claw marks on the victim’s face and neck,” the charges state.
‘Do the right thing’
Bentley explained that detectives have solid leads pointing to potential locations Martinez-Ayala may have fled to.
He said they are working with outside agencies that can help.
“Anyone that that is willing to do an act like this, there’s no knowing how much further they’ll go to attempt to not be apprehended,” Bentley said.
While he couldn’t say if they believe for certain that someone is intentionally hiding Martinez-Ayala, Bentley expressed that it’s possible family or friends may have helped the fleeing father.
“This is a good time to speak to those people and say, ‘Hey, if this is what’s going on– no matter what he’s telling you, we’ve got a different story. And we would really like to speak to him,'” he said.
Tooele City Police is making a call for those potential people to reach out and help in the murder case.
“If anyone is out there hiding Mr. Martinez-Ayala, we would urge them to do the right thing,” Bentley said. “Help us bring some justice for Deputy Martinez.”
