The Houston Forensic Science Center has released the results of its tests, revealing that 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was subjected to sexual assault before her murder last month. The two suspects, Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, both illegal aliens from Venezuela, could face the death penalty if convicted of the crime.
The investigation began after Nungaray’s body was found strangled to death in a creek in Houston, Texas. According to authorities, the 12-year-old had sneaked out of her home on June 16 and encountered the two men on Kuykendahl Road. They asked for directions and then lured her under a bridge, where they kept her for two hours before killing her.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg had previously stated that if sexual assault was confirmed, the suspects could face the death penalty. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also publicly expressed his support for the death penalty for the suspects, citing their alleged crimes.
Both Martinez Rangel and Pena Ramos had previously been detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents but were released shortly after. Martinez Rangel was apprehended near El Paso on March 14 and released the same day, while Pena Ramos was detained in El Paso on May 28 and released shortly after.
