The state of Texas will not seek the death penalty for Yordanis Cobos Martinez, who beheaded Indian-origin hotel manager Chandramouli Nagamaliah (left) and kicked his head before throwing it in a trash can.
Dallas County prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty against 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos Martinez, who beheaded Chandra Nagamaliah, the manager of the hotel where Martinez worked.
The incident occurred last year and Martinez was arrested after surveillance footage showed him placing the victim’s head in a trash can, after kicking her across the hotel parking lot. Nagmalaya’s wife and son witnessed this horrific act.District Attorney John Creuzot filed a notice of intent stating that the state would not pursue the death penalty against Martinez. But she did not give any reason. If convicted, Cobos-Martinez faces life in prison without the possibility of parole under Texas law.Nagamallaiah, originally from Bengaluru, Karnataka, moved to the US with his family in 2020 and ran the hotel.
He beheaded Nagmalaya in a fit of rage
Cobos Martinez was cleaning a hotel room with a co-worker when Nagamalaya asked him not to use a broken washing machine. The coworker told investigators that Cobos Martinez became angry because Ngamalaya did not speak to him directly but asked another worker to tell him.Martinez left the hotel room, took a machete, and repeatedly stabbed the victim.
The indictment alleged that he caused Ngamalaya’s death by “stabbing, cutting and dismembering”. She further alleged that he used multiple weapons, including a knife, axe, machete and another sharp object, while trying to rob the victim.Martinez had a history of escalating violence, with charges extending to Florida, California and Texas, including vehicle theft, attempted carjacking and assault-related cases.
In 2018, he was arrested on a child indecency charge in Harris County, but the charge was later dropped for lack of evidence. He spent a year in prison on assault charges related to the case.Martinez admitted to police that he killed Nagmalaya.Nagamallaiah, also known as “Bob” by friends and family, was “a loving husband, devoted father and a kind soul who touched the lives of all who knew him,” the family wrote on a GoFundMe account. He leaves behind “his wife Nisha and 18-year-old son Gaurav, who dreams of studying hospitality management, inspired by his father’s hard work and generosity,” the post said.
