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CoHNA urges life without parole in Dallas beheading case
The organization said the severity of the crime warranted the harshest possible punishment short of execution.
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Bhavana P - Wed, 22, Jul 2026
- 18:09 EDT
- 59
Chandra Nagamallaiah / X/ CoHNAOfficial
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has expressed concern over the Dallas County District Attorney's decision not to seek the death penalty in the beheading of motel manager Chandra Nagamallaiah in Texas last year.
In a statement, CoHNA said it was "surprising" that Dallas County prosecutors would not pursue capital punishment in what it described as the "brutal beheading" of Nagamallaiah, an Indian immigrant, husband and father.
"We trust this stance does not indicate that the DA office is devaluing the horrific nature of the crime," the organization said.
Also read: No death penalty sought in Dallas beheading case
“We respect the DA in his decision regarding the death penalty. But given the heinous nature of the crime, at the very least, if convicted, the perpetrator should get life in prison without the possibility of parole,” it added.
Dallas County prosecutors filed on July 15 that they will not seek the death penalty against Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, who is charged with capital murder for brutally killing Nagamallaiah at a Dallas motel in September 2025.
According to investigators, Cobos-Martinez was cleaning a motel room with a co-worker when Nagamallaiah instructed them not to use a broken washing machine. Authorities said Cobos-Martinez became angry after the victim communicated through the co-worker instead of speaking to him directly.
The arrest affidavit states that surveillance footage showed Cobos-Martinez leaving the room, retrieving a machete and repeatedly attacking Nagamallaiah. Police allege the victim ran toward the motel office, where his wife and son were present, but Cobos-Martinez continued the assault, ultimately decapitating him.
Investigators said he then placed Nagamallaiah's severed head in a trash can and was wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt when officers arrested him at the scene.
CoHNA described Nagamallaiah as a "hard-working small business owner." The organization said he was killed in front of his wife and child and noted that surveillance footage of the attack was so graphic that several platforms removed it.
The advocacy group also pointed to Cobos-Martinez's prior criminal record in Florida, California and Texas, citing previous arrests and convictions involving theft, carjacking and violent assault.
While acknowledging the district attorney's discretion in deciding whether to pursue the death penalty, CoHNA said the severity of the crime warranted the harshest possible punishment short of execution.
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