After his wife died, a Laredo, Texas, man reportedly tried to paint a pretty picture of their life, evidently hoping investigators would never suspect he had anything to do with her death. Maria Muñoz, a mother of two sons, was just 31 years old when she died in 2020. Her husband, 45-year-old Joel Pellot, claimed his wife died by suicide, but his story apparently didn’t add up.
Investigators reportedly spoke with Pellot after he claimed he found his wife dead, and his story was inconsistent, according to the CBS News program 48 Hours. As detectives dug deeper into the case, they found Muñoz’s journal, which turned out to be a key piece of evidence that led to a murder conviction against Pellot, bringing a bit of peace and justice to Muñoz’s family.
Pellot claimed he and Muñoz fought on September 22, 2020.
Per the 48 Hours investigation, Pellot told police he and his wife had an argument on September 22, 2020, and left their home to try to cool off. When he returned, he allegedly found his wife unresponsive and called 911.
Pellot, a nurse anesthetist, said he believed his wife of 10 years had overdosed on pills. Very early on, investigators said they doubted his story.
He allegedly acted suspiciously as he spoke about his wife.
Pellot reportedly had difficulty answering questions and was sweating profusely in the blue hospital scrubs he was wearing the night his wife died, 48 Hours revealed. Police found a syringe and a needle catheter in the home. The husband acted strangely during an interview at the Laredo police station after his wife died, and investigators grew increasingly concerned the man might have had something to do with his wife’s death.
A journal apparently gave police a wealth of information.
Per 48 Hours, Muñoz kept a journal that told the story of her personal life and struggles with Pellot. The man she loved was allegedly cheating on her and causing her great emotional turmoil. The night before she died, she reportedly wrote in the journal that she wanted to move on but never mentioned wanting to die.
Pellot told police his wife had taken an excessive dose of clonazepam.
According to 48 Hours, Pellot had a bottle of clonazepam that had been prescribed to him but his wife did not. A toxicology report found no clonazepam residue in Muñoz’s system, but there were multiple other drugs found, as well as a puncture wound on her skin.
Upon learning of the autopsy results, Pellot’s former boss, anesthesiologist Dr. John Huntsinger, contacted the lead detective on the case and suggested a full toxicology report as he believed that Pellot was a suspect.
Fur months later, per 48 Hours, the report determined Muñoz had a lethal combination of morphine, Demerol, Versed, propofol, ketamine, lidocaine, and Narcan in her system, all drugs Pellot could have had access to through his profession.
More from CafeMom: Mom Says Her Family Was Accidentally 'Poisoning' Themselves for Weeks
Pellot appeared to wait until his wife was nearly dead to call 911.
Per the 48 Hours investigation, Pellot seemingly used his medical knowledge to initially sedate his wife before injecting her with the lethal combination of drugs. Investigators believed he waited to call 911 until after the point that paramedics could revive her.
He was found guilty of murder in March 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison.
