Mayra Rosales’ Redemption: Cleared of Murder, Then Transformed from 1,100 Pounds to 200

Mayra Rosales of Hidalgo County enjoys a new, healthier life at 200 pounds

HOUSTON – It was the kind of story that dominated national headlines: a woman weighing 1,100 pounds, confined to a king-size bed and unable to stand or walk on her own, appeared to be facing the end of her life.

Her crisis, however, wasn’t only about her weight. Mayra Rosales of Hidalgo County, Texas, was also accused of murder.

In 2008, Rosales’ 2-year-old nephew, Eliseo, was killed. Rosales confessed, saying she had accidentally crushed the child with her body as he lay beneath her bed. The case went to trial, and the proceedings quickly became a public spectacle because of how unusual the allegation was.

Her story later became the subject of a TLC documentary, and the media dubbed her the “Half-Ton Killer.” Because of her size, she had to be cut out of her home and transported in a moving van so authorities could book her on the murder charge.

But investigators soon began to uncover the truth. They determined there was no realistic way Rosales could have committed the act she described. The autopsy indicated the child had suffered head trauma consistent with repeated child abuse.

When defense attorneys asked her to demonstrate how she could have rolled out of bed and onto the child, Rosales broke down in tears. In reality, she couldn’t even reposition herself in bed without assistance. Once it was clear she could not have killed her nephew, Rosales was cleared of the charges.

Investigators later concluded that Rosales’ sister, Jamie Rosales, had killed Eliseo. Believing she might not live long due to complications from severe obesity, Rosales said she confessed because she wanted to protect her sister.

“It’s the most painful thing I have ever been through. I don’t wish it on anybody,” Rosales said.

Jamie Rosales went to trial and, in May 2010, was convicted of causing injury to a child. She received a 15-year prison sentence.

“I have forgiven my sister and she has forgiven herself. She knows that what she did is wrong,” Rosales said. “She has been taking therapy. She’s going to church in the prison.”

Even after her legal battle ended, Rosales’ life remained at risk because of her morbid obesity. She soon chose a path that would ultimately give her a second chance.

Rosales met with Houston surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, a regular on TLC’s “My 600-Pound Life” and a specialist in treating patients with severe obesity. Nowzaradan began working with Rosales to help her lose weight and, ultimately, save her life.

“Mayra most likely was the heaviest woman in the world, being over 1,000 pounds,” Nowzaradan said. “She had tremendous lymphedema in the leg, you know. Her legs were almost about 300, 400 pounds.”

Because Rosales was so large, she needed to lose weight before she could safely undergo gastric bypass surgery. The first step in Nowzaradan’s plan was hospitalization. She was placed on a strict 1,000-calorie diet and lost 100 pounds in 10 days.

“I had my first surgery in 2012, and we began by skin removal. First he tried by taking out some of the fluid in my legs,” Rosales said.

Rosales eventually lost enough weight to proceed with gastric bypass surgery. After the procedure, she was able to lose even more. Today, she weighs 200 pounds—a dramatic change from the weight that once defined her life.

“I’ve been the only woman in the world at 1,100 pounds and the only woman in the world that has lost all that weight,” she said proudly. “Dr. Nowzaradan saved my life.”

Rosales still requires additional surgeries to address swelling and excess skin on her legs, but she says she has put her painful past behind her and is finally living a healthier, fuller life.

“(I have) a normal life that people take for granted and just getting on a Ferris wheel, going to California, going to Las Vegas, you know, things that I wouldn’t have never been able to do,” Rosales said.

She has also started a Facebook page to encourage others who are struggling with their weight. She can be contacted at Get Fit with Mayra.

Her sister, Jamie Rosales, is scheduled to be released from prison in 2016.