Houston, Texas — Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Friday that she will pursue the death penalty for two Venezuelan nationals, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Pena, 26, who are accused of the brutal murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.
Nungaray’s body was discovered in a creek in June after she was sexually assaulted and strangled. A medical examiner confirmed that strangulation was the cause of her death. Ogg called the crime one of the most brutal and senseless in her career, adding that the case was even more tragic knowing that the suspects were in the U.S. illegally.
“This murder was as vile and senseless as any case I’ve handled,” Ogg said. “What makes this worse is that these two men were here illegally, and if they had been detained after crossing the border, they would never have had the chance to take Jocelyn’s life.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, expressed support for the death penalty decision, calling it “hard to think of a more deserving case.” However, he also expressed concern about future decisions following Ogg’s primary election loss to progressive candidate Sean Teare, who has pledged not to prosecute certain criminals.
In a September press call, Jocelyn’s mother accused Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden of being partially responsible for her daughter’s death due to their immigration policies. “If Kamala Harris acknowledged that illegal immigrants are committing heinous crimes in our country, she would have to accept responsibility for it,” she said.