Norman Woman Found Guilty Of Murdering Sister-In-Law To Be Sentenced

A Norman woman who was convicted of murdering her sister-in-law will be sentenced on Wednesday.

Investigators said Margarita or Maggie Sandoval and her husband -- who's currently awaiting trial, hid the victim's body as they collected her disability checks.

Norman police said that Sandoval was mentally disabled when she began living with her brother Octavio Sanchez and his wife Desiree in early 2018.   

In 2021 investigators found Maggie's body decomposing in a home on Lindsey Street. Devastating for loved ones, News 9 spoke to her sister Isabel Sanchez, in July 2022. “I think my sister had a hard life from the beginning. It's not fair everything that happened to her,” said Isabel.

Shortly thereafter, Maggie's brother Octavio Sanchez, and sister-in-law Desiree were arrested. “For me, it's a little bit harder because I grew up with Octavio, so, I feel like I lost two family members. My sister needed help, but she didn’t deserve none of the stuff that happened to her,” said Isabel. 

Following Maggie's death, investigators said Octavio and Desiree cashed the victim's disability checks that totaled more than thirty-thousand dollars.

A third co-defendant, Miguel Munoz, is charged with accessory to murder—and is accused of hiding Maggie's body. According to court filings, Munoz said Octavio described murdering his sister saying, "Desiree started it and I had to finish it."

Munoz and Octavio are awaiting trial.

Desiree's sentencing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday in Cleveland County.