MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A Gaithersburg woman has been found guilty of murdering her 20-year-old boyfriend after stabbing him to death during an argument in 2023, officials announced Friday.
Jennifer Espinoza-Orellana, 22, was convicted by a grand jury for the murder of Jose Manuel Zavala Marquez. According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, the jury deliberated for 90 minutes before returning the guilty verdict.
The fatal incident occurred on September 10, 2023, when Espinoza-Orellana and Marquez got into an argument at her home in the 8000 block of Shady Spring Drive. Investigators revealed that she followed Marquez outside and stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife, with the blade piercing his heart.
After the stabbing, Espinoza-Orellana drove Marquez’s body to a family member’s home and waited at least four hours before taking him to Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, where he was pronounced dead.
Espinoza-Orellana faces up to 40 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, 2025. The case has drawn widespread attention for its disturbing details and tragic outcome.