Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘A Body in the Basement: Follow the Money’ delves deep into the sudden disappearance and gruesome murder of a 19-year-old woman named Margarita Sandoval. After searching for her for three long years after she went missing in 2018, the police were led to a property in Norman, Oklahoma, which housed the truth of Margarita’s disappearance. The entire case and the investigation that followed are covered in a detailed manner in the documentary, which features insightful and emotional interviews with the victim’s loved ones.
Margarita Sandoval’s Remains Were Found in the Basement of a House
Born around 1999, Margarita “Maggie” Sandoval was described as an individual who loved to make others laugh. She had a close-knit bond with her family, especially her sister Taylor Hearon. Growing up in a group home in California with the cognitive abilities of a child, the kind and compassionate girl developed a passion for singing and dancing. In 2016, she moved to Oklahoma with her sister and later began living with her half-brother, Octavio, and his wife, Desiree. Being a person with an intellectual disability, she received Social Security payments on a monthly basis.
Allegedly motivated by the payments, some of the family members wanted to become Margarita’s guardian or caretaker. In 2018, the 19-year-old woman suddenly disappeared and was consequently reported missing. For the next three years, she was nowhere to be found until May 2021, when the investigators received a tip. They discovered her remains inside a container and wrapped in a tote with tape and rope in the basement of a property on West Lindsey Street in Norman, Oklahoma. Due to the decomposition over the course of three years, the cause of her death couldn’t be determined. However, it was believed that she was killed between February 17 and April 18, 2018. As a result, a homicide investigation was launched.
The Killers Kept Margarita Remains Stored in a Container For Three Years
As part of the investigation, the authorities interviewed the homeowner of the residence where Margarita Sandoval’s remains were found. He claimed that he was a friend of Octavio, who had asked to store a few things in his basement. Upon digging deeper into Octavio, the detectives learned that in February 2018, Margarita had filed a complaint against her brother and sister-in-law, claiming that they had been abusing her. After that, she was reportedly transferred to a temporary safe place and got the Adult Protective Services involved. On top of the abuse, the couple had also been collecting Social Security checks in her name until about a week before her remains were found.
The detectives learned that Octavio and Desiree killed Margarita and kept her remains at their property before moving them to the former’s friend’s basement. One of their friends, Miguel Munoz, also reportedly helped the couple move the remains to the basement in June 2019. Miguel told the authorities that the couple told him that they had killed a child molester, which is why he decided to help them. The investigators also came across disturbing Facebook messages that Octavio and Desiree had sent each other. They talked about “moving the body around the house due to the smell.”
After the murder, Desiree reportedly texted Octavio that Margarita was haunting them. Octavio also wrote, “You know I don’t believe in paranormal things but … she is trying to attack me and not just in my sleep. … I got up to get phone to call you, and I couldn’t move. I was sitting on bed and she was holding me down.” In response, Desiree wrote, “She does it to me every night. … You have to ask for protection from evil.” In total, the couple took more than $30,000 from Social Security money intended for Margarita and used the money for their personal needs. They were eventually arrested and charged with the murder of the 19-year-old woman.
Octavio and Desiree Are Currently Incarcerated at Separate Oklahoma Prison Facilities
Desiree Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime against the US and aggravated identity theft, in connection with collecting Margarita’s Social Security checks, after which she was sentenced to three years in prison in addition to three years of supervised release. Her husband, Octavio Sanchez, also pleaded guilty to the same crimes and received a four-year imprisonment, in addition to three years of supervised release. They were also ordered to pay $34,112 in restitution. Moreover, Octavio was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm in 2021. In 2023, Desiree stood trial for the killing of Margarita. Although she didn’t take the stand at her trial, her defense attorneys blamed Octavio for the murder.
In November, she was convicted of first-degree murder and unlawful removal of a dead body. A couple of months later, on January 11, 2024, she was sentenced to life in prison as well as a $10,000 fine for the murder and five years and a $5,000 fine for hiding the remains. A few months later, on May 13, Octacio pleaded no contest to manslaughter and was consequently sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. He took the stand and extended his apologies to Margarita’s family and friends, claiming that he couldn’t notify the police because he was afraid to lose his family. “I just made a small error, then I made drastic errors,” he said. As of today, Octavio is serving his sentence at Cleveland County Jail, while Desiree is held at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, Oklahoma.
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