Marmolejo Retrial: Defendant’s Relationship With Stepsister Not Liked By His Mother

The retrial for David Marmolejo took a gruesome turn Wednesday afternoon.

Jurors covered their mouths in horror and the defendant buried his head in his hands as prosecutors showed the jury pictures of Gloria Marmolejo’s body after it was found in the desert near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. David has been charged with murder in the July 2009 homicide of his mother, Gloria.

David never even looked up as pictures of his mother’s decomposing body were shown to the jury.

David buried his head in his hands, sniffling softly as the jury viewed pictures of his mother’s body with burnt skin and her head wrapped in a plastic bag and her clothes soaked in decomposition fluids.

El Paso Police officers also testified about spots of blood found in the garage which they said belonged to Mariah Wilson, David’s stepsister and girlfriend at the time of Gloria’s death.

David’s uncle and Gloria’s brother, Mark Huerta, also testified Wednesday afternoon.

Huerta said Gloria was upset with David for not spending time with his kids or trying to get back with his wife.

“She didn’t like her, she (Wilson) got under her skin, between everywhere David went, Mariah would show up. Gloria just called her ‘that girl.’ She wouldn’t even call her by her name,” Huerta said.

Huerta talked about David’s physical strength even after he lost his leg in a motorcycle crash in Hawaii.

“David was in great shape. very strong, very buff,” Huerta said. “My son, who is a college athlete, would say David was stronger than him. He does more things with his prosthetic leg than most people can do with two legs.”

Wilson’s 20-year-old friend also testified she used to drink with David and Wilson every weekend in the months leading up to Gloria’s death.

Estrella Pulido told the jury, “They had a relationship where David would, I guess you could say, wear the pants. Whatever David said, Mariah would do. He would tell her to stop drinking. He would send Mariah to sleep when he wanted her to.”

Seven witnesses testified on Wednesday, including Mary Rodriguez, the mother of Gloria and David’s grandmother, broke down crying a couple of minutes into her testimony. Judge Gonzalo Garcia stopped the proceedings and took a break to console her.

“We had a very close, beautiful relationship,” Rodriguez said. “She was my only daughter, my friend, my advisor, she meant everything to me.”

Rodriguez said Gloria hated Mariah Wilson and couldn’t bear the thought of her being a part of the family. Wilson is David’s stepsister and his girlfriend at the time of Gloria’s death. Rodriguez said Gloria cried over the idea of Wilson being a part of her family. The second to last time she talked to Gloria was when Gloria planned to come to El Paso from Phoenix.

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