Lawyers Seek Gag Order in High-Profile Murder Case

Attorneys representing Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, one of the suspects accused of murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, are requesting a protective order to mitigate negative media exposure surrounding the case.

The legal team for Pena Ramos, 26, argues that “extra-judicial statements” made to the media could lead to “undue prejudice,” potentially compromising their client’s right to a fair trial.

“The additional extra-judicial statements to the news media are likely to produce a result of undue prejudice in the community to deprive the Defendant of a fair trial guaranteed by Article I of the Texas Constitution and the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution,” the attorneys stated in their motion.

They cited remarks made by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, including her assertion that, “[M]ake no mistake, this is a horrific crime,” and her comment on the broader issue, “the immigration system is broken.”

According to the filing, Ogg had allegedly made “numerous statements about the case that went beyond the statements of the prosecutor during the probable cause hearing.”

Franklin Jose Pena Ramos and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 21, were arrested in June and charged with capital murder by the Houston Police Department in connection with Nungaray’s death.

As reported by Breitbart News, Nungaray snuck out of her apartment on June 16. Surveillance footage captured her at a 7/11 convenience store shortly after midnight with Pena Ramos and Martinez-Rangel.

Law enforcement officials stated that after leaving the 7/11, the three went to a nearby bridge. Between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., the men allegedly strangled Nungaray and left her body in a creek.

Prosecutors presented evidence in June showing that Pena Ramos and Martinez-Rangel had walked Nungaray to the bridge after leaving the store. At the bridge, Martinez-Rangel allegedly took hold of Nungaray’s neck, “got on top of her,” and covered her mouth. The men also allegedly undressed her, leaving her partially naked.

Both suspects, who are Venezuelan nationals, were apprehended at the southern border and released into the United States with a Notice to Appear (NTA).

Last Thursday, Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn’s mother, joined former President Donald Trump at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to emphasize the importance of border control.

Watch a local news report about the incident below:

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