Man Who Killed American University Professor Sentenced

BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE, MD — Jorge Rueda Landeros, the man found guilty of killing an American University professor in her Bethesda home in 2010, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison.

The ruling was cemented by Montgomery County Circuit Judge Rachel McGuckian, who also concluded that Landeros would receive credit for the three years he's already served.

Landeros had spent 12 years on the FBI's Most Wanted List before he was arrested in Mexico in 2022 and extradited to Maryland in 2023. He was found guilty of second-degree murder in October for the death of Sue Ann Marcum, an accounting professor at American University.

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• Murder Trial In American University Professor's 2010 Death Begins

Marcum was found dead at her Bethesda home on Oct. 25, 2010. A report by the Chief Medical Examiner's Office determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.

At the time, the Montgomery County Police Department found DNA evidence under Marcum's fingernails and on a bottle of tequila that was used to strike her.

Police had initially believed the murder was tied to a burglary before eventually making connections to Landeros, who prosecutors said befriended Marcum for her money.

The pair had a personal and financial relationship at that time. People close to Marcum previously said Landeros had privately tutored Marcum in yoga and Spanish.

Court evidence also showed that Marcum and Landeros had a joint investment account, and that Landeros ultimately walked away with over $250,000.

It wasn't until investigators obtained a DNA sample from Landeros in 2022 that his connection to the murder was confirmed.

Lawyers representing Landeros said they intend to appeal the court's Tuesday decision, The Banner reported.