Court Finds Husband Guilty of Murdering Philippine Nurse Mary Grace

The Criminal Court has found Marvin S.Y. Vargas, now known as Yusuf, guilty of murdering his wife, Mary Grace, a Philippine nurse who worked at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

The ruling was delivered during a hearing held on Sunday to determine the guilt of those charged in the case. The state prosecuted Marvin over the death of Mary Grace, who was found dead in October 2021.

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Delivering the court’s decision, Judge Muzammil Nasir said the evidence established that Mary Grace did not die by hanging, as claimed by Marvin. The judge noted that testimony from the doctor who treated her and nurses present at the time showed no signs indicating she had been hanged.

Although the prosecution did not present eyewitnesses to the death, the judge said the post-mortem examination concluded that Mary Grace died from head injuries. He also noted that she was last seen alive entering her residence and that evidence showed Marvin was inside the house at the time.

The court found Marvin’s account that his wife had died by hanging to be an attempt to distort the facts of the case. Judge Muzammil also referred to photographs found on Marvin’s mobile phone showing methods of suffocating a person, noting that he had failed to provide an explanation for possessing the images.

Based on the circumstantial evidence presented, the judge ruled that Marvin murdered Mary Grace and said the evidence indicated the crime was linked to a romantic relationship between Marvin and Haleemath Lamha.

The court has scheduled a hearing on 1 July to hear submissions on sentencing and deliver the sentence.

The state has also charged Lamha, a Maldivian nurse who worked alongside the couple, with complicity in the murder. Proceedings against her remain ongoing.