Desiree Sanchez (Cleveland County Sheriff) and Maggie Sandoval (District 21 District Attorney’s Office)
A 29-year-old woman in Oklahoma will spend the rest of her life behind bars for killing her 19-year-old disabled sister-in-law then stuffing her body in a box and moving it to different locations so she could continue to collect the victim’s social security benefits. State District Court Judge Thad H. Balkman on Wednesday ordered Desiree Sanchez, also known as Desiree Fransen, to serve a sentence of life in prison for the slaying of Maggie Sandoval, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
A jury in November found Desiree Sanchez guilty on one count of first-degree murder and one count of unlawful removal of a body. Balkman followed the jury’s sentencing recommendation in sentencing Desiree Sanchez to life on the murder charge plus an additional five years on the unlawful removal charge.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, Desiree Sanchez is already serving a three-year federal prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft for continuing to collect Sandoval’s federal social security benefits.
Sandoval, who authorities said had the cognitive abilities of a child, was the half-sister of Desiree Sanchez’s husband, Octavio Juan Sanchez. Octavio Sanchez is serving a four-year federal prison sentence for stealing his sister’s social security benefits and is awaiting his trial on murder and unlawful removal charges in his sister’s slaying.
Police estimated that Sandoval was killed between Feb. 17 and April 18, 2018, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.
Desiree Sanchez and her husband allegedly wrapped Sandoval’s body in “a lot of layers” of plastic — at one point even having one of their children assist them, telling the child they were just wrapping a present, Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR reported.
They then hid the body, moving it around between Sandoval’s apartment and their home. Facebook messages showed the couple discussing their crimes, including moving the body around within their house due to the smell, cops said.
KFOR reported that messages between the couple showed they planned the murder, referring to Sandoval as “fat garbage” and “trash,” then claiming they needed to “get rid of her.”
In one message, Octavio Sanchez directed Desiree Sanchez to tell the police he did everything when he believed the cops were at the apartment complex due to the smell, according to documents. In another message, however, he threatened to kill her too, if she reported him.
The couple also thought Sandoval was haunting them, according to officials.
“In one conversation Octavio (Sanchez) tells Desiree (Sanchez) that (Sandoval) was not letting him get to his phone to contact her,” authorities wrote. “Desiree (Sanchez) replied that (Sandoval) is only messing with him because she was not there. Desiree (Sanchez) confirmed with Octavio (Sanchez) that (Sandoval) was haunting her too. Desiree (Sanchez) told Octavio (Sanchez) that (Sandoval) knows what she did and that is why she is haunting them.”
Officers said they found the remains in the basement of Miguel Angel Munoz, 44, on May 13, 2021, after getting a tip. He was charged with accessory to murder in the first degree and is awaiting trial.
“Munoz informed investigators that Octavio (Sanchez) stated he and his wife, Desiree (Sanchez), killed a child molester. Munoz quoted Octavio (Sanchez) as saying, ‘Desiree (Sanchez) started it and I had to finish it,’” authorities wrote.
Federal investigators said that Desiree (Sanchez), Sandoval’s representative payee for social security benefits, did not report the woman dead, allowing the couple collected $30,912 for themselves. They also used the dead sister’s identity to apply for $3,200 in stimulus money from the IRS during the immediate fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sandoval had the cognitive abilities of a child. She had lived with her brother in January 2019 after spending time at a California group home and with a sister in Oklahoma. The medical examiner determined she died of homicide but could not establish a cause of death due to the level of decomposition.
Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
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