Texas man sentenced to life in prison for killing woman with hammer, stabbing another man to death

HOUSTON — A Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison for two murders including a woman who he was in a relationship with and another man the year prior, according to officials.

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According to a news release from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, a jury convicted Luis Maron Romero, 40, of murdering Maria Marquez, 38, in 2018 and Guillermo Gonzalez, 56, in 2017.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Osso said the murders were a “real-life horror story,” according to a news release.

“This murder was horrific and she did not deserve to die like this,” Osso said in a news release. “She had three daughters, she had grandkids, and she was a really family-oriented person.”

The DA’s office said Marquez went to Romero’s apartment to end their relationship on November 21, 2018. He told police later that he was angry with her and had hit her in the head multiple times with a hammer. He was also caught on surveillance video putting her body wrapped in carpeting into her truck. Romero then drove the truck to an empty lot and left the truck behind.

Marquez’s body was later found in the truck by police and Romero was arrested days later, according to KRIV.

“Once again we see that an abusive relationship can easily escalate to murder, and that is why we take all allegations of domestic violence so seriously,” District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a news release. “Whatever you call it – domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, dating abuse or intimate partner violence – it is all serious and can be deadly.”

According to KRIV, following Romero’s arrest, someone called the police and gave enough information to link him to a second murder the year before.

The DA’s office said that Romero stabbed Gonzalez to death, then put Gonzalez’s body into his car. Romero then drove the car to an abandoned car wash by Romero’s house in Pasadena in February 2017. Police were able to match DNA samples to Romero’s DNA.

KRIV said that the jury gave Romero the maximum sentence of life in prison.

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