Jose Ortiz became unsuspectingly involved in Hatcher's murder when he lent his then-friend Delgado his black Jeep Cherokee, which she had subsequently lent to Cortes and used to carry out Hatcher's murder. When police released grainy surveillance footage of a black Jeep Cherokee fleeing the scene of the crime, Ortiz contacted authorities to clear his name and provide evidence the police needed.
When Delgado was questioned, she didn't crack, so the police let her go. Soon after, they picked up Cortes and then eventually Love. Unbeknownst to the police, Delgado left the country and was staying with relatives in Mexico. She was eventually extradited to the United States for her trial, which began in June 2019.
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It took jurors just 20 minutes to convict Delgado of capital murder. She was given a life sentence without parole and is currently serving her time at William P. Hobby Unit, a women's correctional facility in Marlin, Texas.
As for Cortes and Love, Cortes was given a lower sentence of 35 years in exchange for testifying against Delgado. She is currently serving time at Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas.
Cortes's testimony was also used to sentence Kristopher Love to the death penalty. Per the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, prior to Hatcher's murder, Love's criminal record consisted of "12 arrests involving six violent offenses." He is currently sitting on death row at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit in West Livingston, Texas, though an execution date has not been set.
For more on this story, tune into Dateline on Friday, Dec. 16, at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
