Mayra Lizbeth Rosales is an American woman known for being, at one point, the heaviest living woman. At her heaviest, she weighed 470 kg. She came to prominence in March 2008 when her sister was jailed for murdering her two-year-old nephew. She decided to get her life back in order to get custody of her sister's children, who had no parents to take care of them at that time.
Incident in 2008
On March 18, 2008, in La Joya, Texas, Eliseo Rosales Jr. was taken to the hospital suffering from breathing difficulties and a serious head injury, from which he later died. His aunt, Mayra Lizbeth Rosales, was arrested on suspicion of murder. Rosales initially took responsibility for her nephew's death, claiming that she had fallen and accidentally crushed him when her right hand slipped, while trying to pick the child up. However, medical staff soon established that Eliseo had died from massive blunt force trauma, casting doubt on Rosales' confession. Jaime Lee Rosales, the child's mother and Mayra Rosales' sister, were also arrested on charges of causing injury to a child, and of failing to protect a child.
Subsequent events and trial
During the run up to her trial, it was determined that Eliseo's injuries were inconsistent with Rosales falling on him and that he had died from head trauma after a severe beating. Rosales's physical immobility made it impossible for her to have inflicted the kind of injuries that killed Eliseo. At her trial for capital murder, Mayra Rosales revealed that she had made up her story to protect her sister, whom Rosales accused of both neglecting and regularly physically abusing Eliseo. In this particular instance, Jamie Lee had hit Eliseo with a hairbrush for refusing to eat. When paramedics arrived, Rosales agreed to take the blame for causing the injuries to her nephew. At that time, Rosales believed that her physical condition left her with no reason to live, therefore imprisonment or a death sentence would not be as great a loss as it would be to her sister, who had other children to care for. When Mayra finally revealed the truth, her sister Jamie Lee Rosales fled the country. A private investigator contracted by an American media outlet during the creation of a documentary film about Mayra's case tracked Jaime Lee down to Veracruz, Mexico. She returned to Texas after 2 1/2 years of being on the run. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison for causing Eliseo's death. Jamie will be released in 2025.
Media attention
Rosales has been the subject of intense media attention, both on the death of her nephew, and due to her massive weight. In 2012, the US television channelTLC aired a documentary entitled Half-Ton Killer? This was later also screened by UK broadcaster Channel 4. Rosales's case has been featured around the world, and she has given several interviews to media organizations.
Current life
In 2013, Rosales stated on the Spanish-language TV show Sábado Gigante that she had lost 800 pounds. She also appeared on Anderson Cooper in 2012 to discuss the changes that she had made. She also appeared on Dr. Oz.
