Okla. woman gets life for killing disabled sister-in-law and hiding her body in box for 3 years

CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (TCD) -- A 29-year-old woman will spend her life in prison for killing her husband’s disabled sister, keeping her body inside a box, and continuing to collect her Social Security payments.

Court records show Desiree Sanchez was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 10, about two months after she was convicted of the first-degree murder of 19-year-old Margarita "Maggie" Sandoval. The judge also sentenced Sanchez to five years for unlawful removal of a dead body.

Sanchez’s husband, Octavio Sanchez, is awaiting trial on the same charges.

In May 2021, Norman Police Department officers responded to a residence on West Lindsey Street after someone reported finding a body wrapped in plastic, which had been left inside a box in the basement. Desiree and Octavio Sanchez were arrested in July 2022 following a 14-month investigation into Sandoval’s death, though Octavio Sanchez was already behind bars on unrelated charges in another county.

KFOR-TV reports Sandoval’s cause of death remained undetermined due to the level of decomposition.

Investigators learned Sandoval moved in with Octavio and Desiree Sanchez in January 2018, but a few months later, several family members stopped hearing from her.

According to the Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office, Sandoval was intellectually disabled and required around-the-clock care. The statement says Desiree Sanchez killed Sandoval and cashed in her Social Security checks up until the week before Sandoval’s body was found.

KFOR reports the Sanchezes collected close to $31,000 from Sandoval’s Social Security checks and $3,200 from other government subsidies.

Octavio and Desiree Sanchez reportedly sent messages to each other about Sandoval and called her "trash" and "fat garbage." They allegedly said they had to "get rid of her."

According to KFOR, Desiree and Octavio Sanchez reportedly discussed blaming Octavio Sanchez for the killing because he had a prior criminal record.

Following the conviction, District Attorney Greg Mashburn said Sandoval "deserved better than how [Desiree Sandoval] treated her."

MORE:

• State of Oklahoma vs. Desiree Sanchez
• Cleveland County Juries Deliver Guilty Verdicts in Murder, Manslaughter Trials, 11/1/2023 - Cleveland County District Attorney's Office
• Woman found guilty of murder, hiding body while stealing victim’s social security checks, 11/1/2023 - KFOR
• Norman Police arrest two individuals in connection with a 2018 homicide, 7/22/2022 - Norman Police Department
• Okla. couple accused of killing sister who is 'haunting' them, leaving her body in plastic for years, 7/26/2022 - TCD