On July 1, the Criminal Court will announce the sentence for Maldivian nurse Haleemath Lamha and her boyfriend, Marvin S. Y. Vargas, a Filipino national now known as Yusuf, who were both convicted on Monday of the murder of Marvin’s spouse, Filipino nurse Mary Grace Oned Pineda.

Both defendants stayed in custody after their convictions.

Marvin was found guilty of deliberate homicide, the gravest class of murder according to Maldivian law. The crime has a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Lamha was found guilty as an accessory to deliberate murder, along with two minor offenses:

- improper use of someone else's belongings

- performing an action that needed approval, without legal authorization

According to the Penal Code, aiding or engaging in deliberate homicide, such as scheming, enabling, or supplying the resources to carry out the act, is considered a serious crime. Accomplice liability in intentional homicide may also result in a life sentence, based on the level of involvement determined by the court.

For the misdemeanor offenses, the standard penalties are:

- Nine months and 18 days for the unlawful use of someone else's property

- A period of one month and six days for performing an action without authorization.

These time frames can differ based on judicial judgment and the specifics of each case.

Case background

Mary Grace, an IGMH nurse, was murdered on October 19, 2021, just after she got home for her break. Marvin took her body to IGMH shortly after, first asserting she had taken her own life and then changing his story to state she had fainted.

Authorities deemed the situation questionable and initiated an inquiry. Marvin was detained on October 27, 2021, while Lamha was taken into custody on December 16, 2021.

An autopsy revealed blunt‑force trauma to Mary’s head and neck, and toxicology tests detected succinylcholine, a restricted anesthetic used to induce temporary paralysis. Investigators later recovered a used succinylcholine vial and two additional controlled injections from Lamha’s apartment.

The prosecution presented over 100 pieces of evidence, including more than 70 witnesses, as well as chatlogs between Marvin and Lamha discussing obstacles to Marvin taking a second wife under Philippine law.

Marvin converted to Islam while in custody and formally changed his name to Yusuf. The Islamic Ministry has notified the court of his conversion.

Sentencing for both defendants will take place on July 1.