Texas man accused of murdering his wife after they were married for less than a month

WorldPolitics
26 Mar 2026 • 11:08 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Less than a month after tying the knot, a young Texas couple’s marriage ended in tragedy – with the wife dead, and the husband now facing a murder charge.

Carrollton police say 23-year-old Francisco Mendez-Marin has been charged with murder after a domestic dispute with his wife, 20-year-old Karla Rangel, on March 18.

Officers were called to the couple’s apartment on Metrocrest Drive in Carrollton, Texas, around 4:40 a.m. for a reported disturbance.

Rangel was found with a severe injury to her throat. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her husband, Mendez-Marin, was at the apartment, along with a third individual, who was not named in the affidavit obtained by Fox4News. Mendez-Marin had blood on his clothes and was holding a bloody pocket knife, police said.

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According to the arrest affidavit, body camera footage captured Mendez-Marin making statements in Spanish, including, “I didn’t do anything bad” and “I was obligated to do it.”

Police took Mendez-Marin into custody at the scene. Additional information about the third person in the apartment was not released by police.

During a search of the apartment, investigators discovered a marriage license showing that Mendez-Marin and Rangel had been married since February 26, 2026 – less than a month before the killing.

A motive and further details about the alleged murder have not been released.

Mendez-Marin was initially taken to the Carrollton City Jail before being transferred to the Dallas County Jail. He is charged with murder and is also on immigration hold.

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