Shivangi SinhaOn October 25, 2010, the remains of Sue Ann Marcum were discovered in her Bethesda, Maryland, home by a friend. The house appeared disturbed, with items scattered throughout, and her Jeep Cherokee was missing. Initially, investigators believed the crime was a burglary that had gone wrong. However, police soon realized that Marcum’s close friend and business partner, Jorge Rueda Landeros, was also missing. When authorities learned that he was the beneficiary of her life insurance policy, he became the primary suspect, yet his whereabouts were unknown. ABC’s ‘20/20: The Hunt for Mr. Right’ explores the details of the case and how Landeros was eventually tracked down.
Jorge Rueda Landeros Was Introduced to Sue Marcum as a Yoga Instructor
Jorge Rueda Landeros was born in Mexico in the 1970s and later moved to the US, where he obtained dual citizenship. He built a career as a yoga instructor and Spanish teacher, and it is in this capacity that he first met Sue Ann Marcum in the mid-2000s. Over time, the two grew close, and Landeros started advising her on business and investment decisions. They even entered into joint investments together, though the outcomes were far from equal. Over a two-year period, Landeros reportedly earned about $252,000, while Sue Ann suffered losses totaling approximately $312,000.
Sue and Landeros were reportedly so close that he was named the sole beneficiary of her $500,000 life insurance policy. When Sue’s remains were discovered on October 25, 2010, in her home in Bethesda, Maryland, police initially believed the scene pointed to a burglary. However, the autopsy later revealed that she died from blunt force trauma to the head, and her Jeep Cherokee was missing from the property. Evidence suggested a violent struggle that began upstairs and continued into the basement. Investigators found a tequila bottle at the scene, which was believed to have been used to strike her, and it was also determined that she had been strangled.
However, a valuable diamond necklace was left untouched at the scene, raising doubts about the burglary theory. Police were also able to recover DNA from beneath Sue’s fingernails and from the tequila bottle. As investigators examined her life more closely, they learned that Sue had become deeply unhappy with the investments and financial decisions she had made with Landeros and had openly expressed her frustration to him. She had spoken about struggling to pay her mortgage and feeling trapped by the financial situation she found herself in. Landeros quickly emerged as the prime suspect, but he had already fled to Mexico. In April 2011, an arrest warrant was issued charging him with first-degree murder.
Jorge Rueda Landeros is Awaiting His Sentence in Maryland Today
Jorge Rueda Landeros abandoned Sue Marcum’s Jeep Cherokee in Washington before fleeing to Mexico. He was later placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and assumed the alias Leon Ferrara. Under that name, he built a new life in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where he worked as a yoga instructor. His time on the run ended after a tip to authorities led to his arrest on December 13, 2022. Landeros was extradited to Maryland in July 2023, at which point prosecutors added a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution alongside the original first-degree murder charge.
His trial began in October 2025, during which the defense argued that Sue’s death was the result of a burglary rather than an act committed by Landeros. However, DNA evidence recovered from the crime scene and matched to him proved compelling for the jury. Ultimately, he was found guilty of second-degree murder. Sentencing has not yet taken place, but the charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Landeros is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing in February 2026 and is currently being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg, Maryland.
Read More: Matteo Chigorno: Where is the Convicted Killer Now?
