The Tooele City Police Department has filed multiple charges against Hector Ramon Martinez-Ayala, 54, in connection with the death of his daughter, Marbella Martinez, a 25-year-old Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer. The charges, filed on September 6, include murder, obstruction of justice, stalking, and unlawful possession of financial and identifying documents.
Marbella Martinez’s body was discovered on August 1 during a welfare check at the home she shared with her father. She had been sworn in as a corrections officer less than six months prior. According to investigators, Martinez was last seen on interior cameras at 12:23 p.m. on July 31. Her father reportedly returned home at 2:17 p.m., after which camera footage was allegedly deleted or disabled.
Prosecutors believe Martinez-Ayala strangled his daughter upon returning home. The victim was found on her bed with apparent fingernail marks on her face and neck. A text message sent by Martinez-Ayala to his brother at 4:30 p.m. on July 31 allegedly contained a confession of making “a big mistake” and an “unforgivable sin.”
Law enforcement officials report that Martinez-Ayala attempted to dispose of his daughter’s phone along I-80 between their house and the Salt Lake City airport. He also allegedly withdrew money from her bank account before leaving the country. Cell phone tracking indicates he traveled to San Francisco and then Houston before his phone records ceased, leading investigators to believe he left the United States.
The charging documents allege months of stalking behavior by Martinez-Ayala preceding the murder. Prosecutors claim he became “obsessed and controlling” with his daughter, placing a tracking device on her vehicle and installing hidden cameras in their home. In February, Marbella reportedly found a bag of her underwear in her father’s room.
Two days before her death, Martinez-Ayala allegedly tracked his daughter to a hiking area where he found her with a “romantic interest.” Following this encounter, Marbella did not return home and instead stayed at a hotel for several days.
Authorities are currently seeking Martinez-Ayala’s whereabouts, believing he may have used his twin brother’s identification to pass through customs in an undisclosed country.
This case has shocked the local law enforcement community and raised questions about familial violence and stalking behaviors. The investigation is ongoing.
