Murder of Tzatzi Sanchez by Marcela Whaley investigated on Snapped

Oxygen is re-airing the Snapped investigation into the brutal murder of Tzatzi Sanchez, who was beaten, rapped, and strangled to death by hitmen Luis Barroso and Obed Marroquin.

The pair were hired to commit the murder by Tzatzi’s former girlfriend, Marcela Whaley.

In the early hours of January 15, 2001, Barroso and Marroquin broke into Tzatzi’s Las Vegas home. The two armed killers tied up her two roommates, Juan Antonio Mayen and Carlos Rene Villafana.

Barroso and Marroquin also tied up 27-year-old Tzatzi and gagged her with a scarf and her own hair. They then subjected her to an hourlong assault involving rape, beatings, and eventually Barroso strangled her.

Mayen and Villafana were instrumental in identifying the two killers, and they noted that Barroso had said they were sent to the home by a third party.

The police learned that Tzatzi and Whaley had been involved in a lesbian love triangle and concluded that Whaley hired the two killers in an act of revenge after her victim left her for the other woman. The cops believe Whaley ordered Barroso and Marroquin to rape Tzatzi before killing her.

Marcela Whaley was found in Mexico after Tzatzi Sanchez murder

In the meantime, Whaley had left for her native Mexico. She tried to re-enter the US a few weeks later, but Border Patrol officers deported her after they caught her lying about being a US citizen.

Whaley was officially arrested in August 2002 in her hometown of Durango, Mexico, and the US authorities began extradition proceedings.

At the time, District Attorney Frank Coumou told reporters, “We had to give them assurances that we would not seek the death penalty, and we are waiting to see if the Mexican authorities will honor our request to extradite her.” Coumou added that the process could take a couple of months.

It is unclear what happened to Whaley next. There are no records of her in the Nevada prison system or in any federal prison.

Obed Marroquin pleaded guilty to his role in the murder in exchange for a chance of parole.

Luis Barroso and Obed Marroquin are serving lengthy sentences for killing Tzatzi Sanchez

Marroquin claimed he had not been aware of the plan to kill Tzatzi and that he thought he and Barosso were only robbing the house. He is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole and is currently incarcerated at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, NV.

Luis Barroso was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault and was sentenced to life. He is also serving his time at the Lovelock Correctional Center.

This episode of Snapped re-airs Tuesday at 8/7c on Oxygen.