Utah man accused of murdering deputy daughter, texting brother he 'made a big mistake'

Police are searching for a Utah man who they believe strangled his sheriff's deputy daughter before texting his brother afterward that he committed "an unforgivable sin."

Hector Ramon Martinez-Ayala, 54, faces charges including murder in the death of his 25-year-old daughter just outside of Salt Lake City last month, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday. Martinez-Ayala also faces charges of stalking, obstruction of justice, and unlawful possession of another person's identifying documents, among other counts.

His daughter, Marbella Martinez, was found dead at the Tooele home she shared with her father on Aug. 1 just months after joining the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. In a Facebook post memorializing her, the office called the deputy's death suspicious and revealed the Tooele City Police Department is investigating.

Authorities allege that Martinez-Ayala, who was charged on Friday, fled the country after withdrawing $1,000 in cash from his daughter's bank account using her card. Court records reveal texts he sent his brother on the afternoon of July 31, the day before his daughter's body was found.

"My brother, you know much I love you, I made a big mistake, an unforgivable sin, now I'm too scared and I don't know what to do. I think I will never come back," the text messages read.

Tracking device placed on Marbella's vehicle

Martinez-Ayala is accused of engaging in "increasingly obsessed and controlling" behavior with his daughter, prosecutors say. Records say that Martinez found a bag of her underwear and used hygiene products in her father's room, leading to a confrontation after which he promised to change and stop his habits.

His text messages to his daughter are more of the nature of a jealous lover than a father," court records say.

On July 29, he is accused of placing a tracking device in her vehicle to follow her and someone she began dating to a hiking area in Bates Canyon near Tooele.

Martinez stayed in a hotel room until July 31, when she was last captured by surveillance footage entering her home at 2:17 p.m. Martinez-Ayala texted his brother two hours later.

"Any video after the defendant’s arrival at 2:17 p.m. July 21, 2024, was deleted or never existed because of the disabling of the camera after his arrival," records say.

Martinez-Ayala's current whereabouts are unknown

Police say that Martinez-Ayala disposed of his daughter's cellphone on the way to the Salt Lake City Airport, where he then flew to San Francisco and then Houston.

He was last seen on surveillance footage landing in a different country after using his twin brother's identification. Police did not share what country Martinez-Ayala may be in.

No attorney representing Martinez-Ayala was listed in Utah online court records.

Martinez was appointed a corrections officer to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 11.

"Deputy Martinez was a dedicated member of our Sheriff’s Office family," Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in a statement. "In her short time with us, she became a cherished friend and an integral part of our team. Her untimely and tragic death is a profound loss for us all."