The Criminal Court has found former nurse Marvin S. Y. Vargas guilty of murdering his former wife, Mary Grace Oned Pineda, in a case that drew significant public attention following her death in Malé in 2021.

The court also convicted Haleemath Lamha Abdul Rahman as an accomplice in the killing during separate hearings held on Monday.

Sentencing for both defendants is expected at a later date.

Mary was found dead at her apartment in Ma. Udhuheykokaage on October 19, 2021.

Investigators later determined that she died from severe head and neck injuries as well as suffocation.

At the time, Mary, Marvin, and Lamha were all employed as nurses in the Emergency Department of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

During the trial, prosecutors presented more than 100 pieces of evidence, including testimony from over 70 witnesses.

Among the evidence were messages exchanged between Marvin and Lamha, which prosecutors argued demonstrated the nature of their relationship and discussions about obstacles to their future together.

Shortly after Mary’s death, Marvin transported her body to IGMH by ambulance and initially reported the incident as a suicide.

However, investigators found no evidence to support that claim, leading to his arrest on October 27, 2021.

Lamha was later arrested in December of the same year.

An autopsy conducted in India concluded that Mary died from injuries to her head and neck.

The examination also detected traces of succinylcholine, a drug commonly used in medical anesthesia. Investigators later recovered a used succinylcholine injection from Lamha’s residence.

The court proceedings also revealed that several defense witnesses from the Philippines failed to appear despite being called to testify.

As a result, the court proceeded without their testimony.

During his time in custody, Marvin converted to Islam and changed his name to Yoosuf.

Following the case, the Maldives Nursing and Midwifery Council revoked the professional licenses of both Marvin and Lamha and removed them from the national nurses' register.