During the second court appearance of one of Jocelyn Nungaray’s accused killers on Tuesday, disturbing new details came to light, provoking an emotional outburst from a family member.
According to KPRC 2, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel initially denied any involvement in the 12-year-old’s death, but prosecutors said his co-defendant Franklin Peña, who appeared in court on Monday, claimed he had only kissed Jocelyn while pinning the murder on Martinez-Rangel.
As the defendant exited the courtroom, one of Jocelyn’s family members screamed “Murderer” in Spanish and said, “I hope they kill your children.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors also disclosed that Martinez-Rangel admitted to tying Jocelyn’s legs; he also had bite marks and scratches on his arm. He then allegedly directed Peña to dispose of Jocelyn’s body in a creek to eliminate DNA evidence.
Lead prosecutor Megan Long stated that investigators also found evidence on his phone showing he researched ways to flee the country.
After the murder, Martinez-Rangel is accused of shaving his facial hair to avoid detection.
Defense attorneys argued that he has no previous criminal history and is a father to two young children, though it’s unclear whether they reside in Houston or his home country of Venezuela.
Both Martinez-Rangel and Peña currently face charges of capital murder.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, court records indicate that the two men spent hours at a local bar before encountering Jocelyn at a 7/11 convenience store, where they asked her for directions. Prosecutors stated that they lured Jocelyn to a bridge, where her body was later found with her pants missing and cuts on her body.
Martinez-Rangel’s bond has been set at $10 million. Check back for updates.
