Suvechha Sarkar
In October 2010, the tight-knit community of Bethesda, Maryland, was rocked to its core when 52-year-old Sue Ann Marcum was brutally killed in her home. Her untimely demise left her friends and family members completely grief-stricken and grappling for answers. Although the investigation helped authorities identify the suspect shortly after, it took about 12 years to locate the killer. ABC’s ’20/20: The Hunt for Mr. Right’ examines the circumstances surrounding Sue’s death and the web of secrets that led to her murder. It also features interviews with her loved ones and officials who worked on the case.
Sue Marcum Lived a Life Completely Devoted to Teaching and Mentorship
Stanley N. and Helen Ribak Marcum were overjoyed when they welcomed their daughter, Sue Ann Marcum, into their lives on March 2, 1958. She was born in Syracuse, New York, where she grew up alongside her beloved brother, Alan Marcum, in a household filled with love and laughter. According to her loved ones, Sue was a “strong-willed” woman with a free spirit. After completing her initial education, Sue enrolled at the Kogod School of Business at American University (AU) to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Sue attained her degree in 1979 before completing her Master’s in Taxation from the university in 1987. Ultimately, in 1999, she began her professional trajectory as a Professor who taught undergraduate and graduate students at the Kogod School of Business.
Over time, Sue became the Director of the Master’s in Accounting program and played a significant role in developing the Taxation course for the Master’s degree. Her work truly gained attention, leading her to receive the Professor of the Year award consecutively for three years. Additionally, Sue was a Faculty Advisor to the Kogod Accounting Club. She consistently helped her students with career development initiatives and inspired many. In 2006, Sue established a scholarship for American University alumni who aspired to pursue a master’s degree in Accounting. It was later renamed as the Sue Marcum Scholarship Fund. In her personal life, Sue loved spending time with her family and students. Moreover, she enjoyed engaging in activities such as gardening, cooking, and running.
Sue Marcum Became Unreachable Before She Was Found Dead by Her Friend
On October 25, 2010, Sue’s friend, Larry March, grew concerned when he was unable to get in contact with her. Thus, he went to check on her at her house in the 6200 block of Massachusetts Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland. At her residence, he discovered the home was in disarray and found Sue’s remains in the basement. Once the officials arrived after the 911 call, they found that the residence reportedly appeared to have been ransacked. They discovered that a rear window was open and its screen was damaged, which suggested a possible burglary. According to reports, they noticed shattered glass in the kitchen and two shot glasses, which indicated that Sue was drinking before she was attacked.
Detectives also recovered a broken Mezcal liquor bottle near her remains. Upon further inspection, they reportedly found that items like Sue’s Nintendo Wii, laptop, wallet, and phone were missing from the house. Furthermore, her Jeep Cherokee was also missing. The forensic experts uncovered a male’s DNA from the shot glasses, Sue’s fingernails, and the broken bottle. The autopsy reportedly discovered that she had a deep wound at the back of her head and on her torso. Sue’s cause of death was ultimately determined to be a combination of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. Her manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Staged Burglary and Alleged Financial Motives Shifted the Investigation
Based on the evidence found at the scene, authorities initially considered the case to be a burglary gone wrong. After just 12 hours, they arrested a man, DeAndrew Hamlin, driving the stolen car of Sue. Yet, none of the stolen items from the crime scene was found in the car, which only led him to be arrested and charged with crashing a stolen vehicle and evading authorities on October 26, 2010. Authorities later confirmed he had no involvement in Sue Marcum’s murder. According to reports, officials soon discovered that Sue had a life insurance policy and its sole beneficiary was her friend, Jorge Rueda Landeros. They reportedly found that in the case of her death, he would receive a payout of around $500,000, which prosecutors later pointed to as a possible financial motive.
Police records state that after speaking with Sue’s friends, they learned that she first met Jorge in the early 2000s, when he was teaching Spanish at her university. Sue and Jorge reportedly got closer as he began teaching her Spanish and yoga. Larry reportedly claimed that Sue became “infatuated” and had allegedly considered getting into a romantic relationship with him. As the investigation progressed, detectives reportedly discovered that Sue had refinanced her home and provided $250,000 to Jorge to open a joint investment account in the foreign exchange market in 2008.
According to Sue’s friends’ statements, shortly after, she became increasingly disturbed as the money was drained from their joint investment account, a factor investigators considered while determining a potential financial motive.”In 2009, Jorge reportedly lost the money through poor investment decisions. Investigative reports indicate that, as a dual citizen of Mexico and the US, Jorge traveled approximately 89 times between the two countries in 2009 and 2010. Further reports state that Sue had sent him multiple emails, noting, “While I knew I took a risk in getting into the investments with you, I always had faith that you would give it your best effort.”
The Killer Was on the Run For 12 Years Before He Was Arrested in Mexico
According to police reports, Sue’s emails to Jorge showed her growing increasingly stressed about the financial situation, with the distress escalating further by April 2009. Around two months before the murder, she had reportedly received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service, informing her that she owed $3 million in tax penalties, bringing the total of her taxes to $15 million. Official records state that Sue lost $312,000 in the investment plan with Jorge, while he had gained $252,000 from her. In March 2011, when Jorge was crossing the border in El Paso, Texas, he was stopped by the authorities and willingly gave his DNA sample. It ultimately turned out to be a match with the DNA that was found at the murder scene on April 15, 2011. It led to the issuing of an arrest warrant for Jorge, charging him with first-degree murder.
Despite the arrest warrant, Jorge remained a fugitive. Shortly after, he reportedly reached out to the Washington Post and denied killing Sue. According to reports, he also claimed to be calling from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and stated that he wouldn’t return to Maryland. Jorge was put on the FBI wanted list and wasn’t located until December 2022 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Official records state that he was living there under the alias Leon Ferrara while working as a Yoga Instructor. He was ultimately arrested and extradited to Maryland. Jorge’s jury trial finally began in October 2025, and he was convicted of second-degree murder on October 30, 2025. Under Maryland law, second-degree murder can carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison. As of writing, Jorge’s formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 6, 2026.
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