Albuquerque, NM –
Today, October 10, 2024, a jury found Lee Marco Cuellar, 45, guilty of first-degree murder for the violent strangulation of his wife, Rosalejandra Cisneros, in May 2021. Cuellar used his hands and a makeshift tourniquet to kill his wife at their home in Southwest Albuquerque. Cuellar’s trial in January 2024, ended in a mistrial since the defense didn’t review the video evidence, which included their client’s statement to the police.
Prosecutors argued that Cuellar felt threatened by his wife’s flourishing modeling career, and life outside of the home. Prosecutor Christine Jablonsky explained to jurors that “her modeling career was starting to take off.” Prosecutor Jablonsky continued, “she was actively in school trying to get a degree. She was spending time with people outside of her marriage.”
The eight-day trial began on October 1, 2024, as we previously reported. The jury began deliberations on Thursday morning. After about three hours, they ultimately found Cuellar guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The prosecution team, which included attorneys Jolanna Macias, Christine Jablonsky, and India Trummer, expressed their gratitude for the jury’s verdict. They also thanked law enforcement for their hard work in bringing Cuellar to justice.
Cuellar now faces life in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Backstory on the Brutal Strangulation Death of Rosalejandra Cisneros
On May 23, 2021, an Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officer encountered a man who confessed to killing his wife. The incident began when the officer was responding to a suspicious person call in the area of Mountain Road NW and 18th Street NW.
A man, later identified as Lee Marco Cuellar, threw a pill bottle at the arriving officer’s vehicle. The officer backed up her vehicle and located Cuellar and another man in a nearby park. Cuellar reportedly admitted to killing his wife. He also provided the address of the crime scene.
Upon arriving at the residence, officers found the victim, Rosalejandra Cisneros, deceased in the bedroom. She exhibited signs of strangulation, including blue and purple linear marks around her neck and bulging, purple eyes.
Detectives arrested and interviewed Cuellar. In the interview, he described the events leading up to the murder, including an argument with his wife and his belief that she was a demon. According to Cuellar, he felt a sense of despair and believed that his wife was going to harm his family in “malicious, mean, and nasty ways.”
Cuellar admitted to strangling his wife with a “wife-beater” and a makeshift tourniquet made from a white shirt and a stick. He described the horrific act in detail, including the victim’s struggles and her eventual submission. Cuellar also revealed that he had taken Viagra and a sedative before the murder, which may have contributed to his state of mind.
After killing his wife, Cuellar called a relative to meet him at the park, where he intended to turn himself in. Cuellar had phones a relative and told them that he had killed his wife. The relative relayed this information to the police. According to the criminal complaint, Cuellar expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he knew the killing was wrong.