Yoga Instructor Accused of Murdering Professor Partner Amid Failed Investment, Allegedly Fled the Country and Adopted New Identity

More than fifteen years after the tragic murder of a cherished college professor, a 56-year-old man is finally facing the consequences of his actions. Jorge Rueda Landeros has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the brutal killing of 52-year-old Sue Ann Marcum, a case that sent shockwaves through the academic community and beyond.

The sentencing took place on Tuesday, following a jury’s conviction of Landeros for second-degree murder in October. This verdict comes after a long and drawn-out pursuit of justice, as Landeros had managed to evade capture by fleeing the country and living under a false identity for years. The Montgomery County State Attorney’s Office announced the outcome, providing a sense of closure to those who knew and loved Marcum.

Marcum, a well-regarded professor at American University, had developed a close personal relationship with Landeros, who was both her Spanish teacher and yoga instructor. Their bond extended beyond the classroom, eventually evolving into a romantic relationship. However, it was an investment venture between the two that ultimately led to financial and emotional turmoil.

In an October 2008 email, Marcum expressed her distress over the failed investment, writing, “The vision of you sitting at the end of my kitchen table telling me you have no remorse for spending the money keeps appearing in my head now that I know that the amount was $50,000; it is physically playing havoc with my body.” Unfortunately, this was just a fraction of the financial deceit she suffered.

Investigations revealed that Marcum had entrusted Landeros with approximately $300,000, receiving nothing in return. Landeros had deceitfully pocketed around $250,000 of her money and had even named himself as the sole beneficiary of Marcum’s $500,000 life insurance policy. This manipulation and betrayal added layers of tragedy to an already devastating crime.

Cops found Marcum dead on Oct. 25, 2010, inside her home in the 6200 block of Massachusetts Avenue in Bethesda. She had been strangled and beaten. It appeared someone had gained entry through a rear window and some items of value were stolen. However, over the course of the investigation, cops determined that the burglary was staged and Marcum likely knew her killer.

Detectives recovered DNA belonging to someone other than Marcum. They then reviewed Marcum’s emails, which uncovered her relationship with Landeros. They also learned he had crossed the U.S. border from his native Mexico just days before the murder. Landeros had been going back and forth from the U.S. and Mexico on a regular basis and during one of the crossings, Border Patrol agents obtained a cheek swab for a DNA sample.

In April 2011, authorities confirmed the unknown DNA at the crime scene belonged to Landeros. They obtained an arrest warrant.

But by that time Landeros disappeared into Mexico. Cops learned that he assumed a new identity. It took 11 years before authorities could locate him, arrest him, and ship him back to Maryland to face charges.

A jury convicted him of murder after a nine-day trial.

Marcum’s brother Alan Marcum noted that Monday was his sister’s birthday.

“Today, we’re standing here with the person who murdered her sentenced to 25 years thanks to the work of the Montgomery County police, the State’s Attorneys, and I’m very grateful for the work that they did, and appreciative for the care and attention that the jury paid and that the judge gave us throughout this case,” he said.

Sue Ann Marcum was the director of the master’s in accounting program at American University and taught both graduate and undergraduate classes, her obituary said. She was professor of the year for three straight years.

Her longtime friend Larry March said Marcum had recently moved into a new home, and he believed she had cut all ties to Landeros.

“She was kind of starting her life over again, and then she was snuffed away from the Earth,” March said.