(DALLAS) — The office of Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has confirmed it will not seek the death penalty against a suspect charged in the gruesome September beheading of a motel manager, despite public outcry and the violent nature of the crime.
The Case
The suspect, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez — described as an undocumented immigrant who had previously been detained by federal immigration authorities — is accused of murdering his employer, 50-year-old motel manager Chandra Nagamallaiah, at a Downtown Suites motel on September 10, 2025. According to police and security footage, Cobos-Martinez used a machete, then decapitated Nagamallaiah in front of the victim’s wife and child, and allegedly desecrated the body.
The gruesome nature of the attack shocked the public and prompted statements from federal immigration officials and political leaders calling for swift justice.
In response to the killing, the federal agency U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly lodged a detainer with the Dallas County Jail, requesting federal custody for Cobos-Martinez.
Decision by the District Attorney
Despite the capital-murder charges and public outrage, Dallas County’s DA office announced that prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty in this case. Instead, the suspect remains in custody without bond while awaiting trial, under a standard murder charge carrying life-without-parole as a maximum sentence.
DA Creuzot’s office did not provide a detailed public explanation for the decision, though in previous high-profile cases he has cited legal standards for death-penalty prosecutions — including the requirement to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant poses a continuing threat to society.
Broader Context
Creuzot has served as Dallas County DA since 2019, and in that time, his office has rarely sought capital punishment — a stance that has drawn criticism from some victims’ advocates and supporters of tougher criminal justice policies.
Supporters of strict immigration enforcement have pointed to the case and the suspect’s history as evidence of systemic failures. Federal authorities said Cobos-Martinez had previous convictions and a final order of removal, but was released earlier this year after the suspect’s country of origin declined to accept him.
As the case proceeds toward trial, federal immigration authorities have expressed their intent to ensure that the suspect is held accountable and removed from the country if convicted.
