State of Texas won’t seek death penalty Yordanis Cobos-Martinez who beheaded Indian-origin motel manager Chandramouli Nagamallaiah (left) and kicked his head before dumping it in the trash can.
Dallas County prosecutors have said that they won’t be seeking the death penalty against 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, who beheaded Chandra Nagamallaiah, the manager of the motel where Martinez used to work. The incident took place last year and Martinez was arrested after surveillance footage showed him placing the victim’s head in a trash can, after kicking it across the motel parking lot. Nagamallaiah’s wife and son witnessed the horrific act.District Attorney John Creuzot filed a notice of intent stating that the state will not pursue capital punishment against Martinez. But it did not state any reason. If convicted, Cobos-Martinez faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole under Texas law.Nagamallaiah, originally from Bengaluru, Karnataka, had moved to the United States with his family in 2020 and managed the motel.
Beheading of Nagamallaiah in a fit of rage
Cobos-Martinez was cleaning a motel room with a co-worker when Nagamallaiah told him not to use a broken washing machine. The co-worker told investigators Cobos-Martinez became angry because Nagamallaiah did not speak to him directly but asked another worker to tell him.Martinez left the motel room, took a machete and repeatedly stabbed and struck the victim. The indictment alleged he caused Nagamallaiah’s death “by stabbing and by cutting and by chopping.” It further alleged he used multiple weapons, including a knife, an axe, a machete and another sharp object, while attempting to rob the victim.Martinez had a history of escalating violence, with charges that spanned Florida, California and Texas, including vehicle theft, an attempted carjacking and assault-related cases. In 2018, he was arrested on an indecency with a child charge in Harris County, but the charge was later dismissed for insufficient evidence. He spent a year in jail for an assault charge related to the case.Martinez admitted to the police that he killed Nagamallaiah.Nagamallaiah, also known as “Bob” by friends and family, was “a loving husband, devoted father, and kind soul who touched the lives of everyone who knew him,” the family wrote on a GoFundMe account. He leaves behind “his wife, Nisha, and his 18-year-old son, Gaurav, who dreams of studying Hospitality Management, inspired by his father’s hard work and generosity,” the post read.
