Albuquerque man sentenced to life plus 6 years in killing of former girlfriend who was found in Jemez Mountains

ALBUQUERQUE — A judge last week sentenced an Albuquerque man to life plus six years in prison in the 2022 killing of 20-year-old Yasmin Marquez.

Jonathan Gabriel Martinez, 24, was convicted by a 2nd Judicial District Court jury in October of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence for burning Marquez’s car, whose remains were found in the Jemez Mountains.

The life sentence handed down Tuesday by Judge Bruce Fox requires Martinez to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole.

Martinez met with Marquez, his former girlfriend, at a park in southeast Albuquerque on April 15, 2022, court records show.

Cellphone data introduced at trial showed the pair traveled to Pajarito Mesa before Marquez’s phone was disconnected. Martinez then traveled to the Jemez Mountains, then Corrales, where he set Marquez’s Dodge Magnum on fire, witnesses testified.

Six weeks later, Marquez’s remains were found in the Jemez Mountains off U.S. 550.

Nancy Laflin, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said prosecutors have no immediate plans to refile charges against Martinez in the 2021 shooting death of a teenager during a Summerfest celebration in Downtown Albuquerque.

In that case, a jury acquitted Martinez in August of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the killing of 19-year-old Trevonte Robbins.

But jurors failed to reach verdicts on charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and aggravated battery in that case.

Laflin said the DA’s Office has the option of refiling those charges, but has not done so “at this time.”