Testimony begins in 2022 killing of Albuquerque woman found dead in Sandoval Co.

The case against Jonathan Martinez is as simple as “murder, a burger, some Sprite and some lighter fluid,” prosecutor David Waymire told jurors Tuesday, the first day of Martinez’s trial in the killing of Yasmine Marquez.

Prosecutors said they will show jurors surveillance footage of Martinez buying food at a McDonald’s and lighter fluid from a Walmart on N.M. 528 before traveling toward U.S. 550, where 20-year-old Marquez’s body later was found under a pile of dumped roofing material.

Martinez, 23, is charged in 2nd Judicial District Court with first-degree murder in Marquez’s killing. He is also charged with two counts of tampering with evidence for allegedly driving around with her body in the car for several hours before dumping her remains in a remote area in Rio Rancho. The trial is scheduled through Friday before Judge David Murphy.

Marquez’s mother, Clara Jaramillo, testified Tuesday that she reported her daughter missing on April 15, 2022, after noticing her vehicle was gone and the victim was not answering her cellphone. The victim had just returned in early April from Ciudad Juárez, where she had been staying with Martinez for several months. Marquez returned alone, stating she had felt threatened after Martinez put a gun to her head, witnesses testified.

The day after Marquez was reported missing, deputies found her vehicle partially burned in Corrales.

After receiving location data from Marquez’s and Martinez’s cellphones through a search warrant, deputies were able to track the pair going to Kirtland Park late on the night on April 14. According to the victim’s best friend, Ketzia Loya, one of the final texts she received from the victim stated, “Imma get killed,” with a skull emoji, alerting Loya that Martinez was returning from Mexico and Marquez was concerned about her safety.

According to Loya, after returning from Juárez, Marquez told Loya about the abuse she suffered from Martinez.

On May 2, 2022, Martinez was arrested and found in possession of the victim’s phone.

Martinez sent Marquez a series of text messages, including, “I ain’t good enough for you so ima just kill you” and “You don’t love me,” according to a search warrant affidavit.

Prosecutors say they relied on Snapchat, Facebook and cellphone messages along with location data to show Martinez’s involvement in Marquez’s killing.

The text messages show a history of abuse and the intent to kill, with Martinez repeatedly telling Marquez he wouldn’t allow her to leave him and he would physically harm her if she did, prosecutors told the judge Tuesday.

Martinez’s attorney, Stephanie Gulley, told jurors the text messages were speculative and did not have enough context to use as evidence.

In August, Martinez was acquitted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in an unrelated case.