American Monster is investigating the murder of Margarita Sanchez Lemus, often referred to in official documents as Margarita Morales, who was killed on a residential street by her husband, Rogelio Morales, in Sioux City, Iowa.
On April 19, 2015, the Sioux City police were called to reports of an unconscious individual lying in front of the house. The cops found a badly injured 21-year-old Margarita lying on the ground. Morales was sitting on the steps of a nearby house, crying.
A bystander told the police they needed to speak to Morales. The killer told an officer that he and Margarita had been arguing in a car. He said she told him that she was seeing another man and wanted to officially end their marriage.
Morales said that he “lost it” with his estranged wife and then claimed he blacked out. He was then placed into custody.
Margarita was taken to a nearby hospital but was soon pronounced dead. She had been strangled.
Detectives interviewed Morales, without an attorney present, for an hour and a half. At the end of the interview, he was charged with first-degree murder.
Rogelio Morales exhibited jealous behavior before Margarita Sanchez Lemus murder
The investigators learned from Margarita’s sister, Monica Terriquez, that the couple’s marriage had been in trouble for a long time. Terriquez claimed that Morales had exhibited controlling and jealous behavior toward her sister.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelTerriquez later recounted an incident two weeks before the murder when Morales allegedly assaulted her. Terriquez explained in court that she spent a night with the couple, and “[Morales] just kept on going through her phone, and then they went down to our basement to argue, and I didn’t see them for the rest of the night.”
The following morning, Margarita told Terriquez that Morales had hit and choked her.
Morales’s defense team argued that their client was suffering from post-traumatic distress syndrome and should be convicted of voluntary manslaughter, not murder.
Rogelio Morales sentenced to 50 years for killing Margarita Sanchez Lemus
A jury rejected the manslaughter argument and opted for second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 50 years and must serve at least 70 percent of the sentence before being eligible for parole.
After sentencing, Morales told the court, “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.”
In 2018, the Iowa Court of Appeals rejected Morales’s argument that his interview with detectives should have been omitted as evidence because there was no attorney present. The court ruled that Morales had waived his Miranda rights.
American Monster airs Sundays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.