Jorge Avila-Torrez
American Serial Killer and Rapist
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Zion, Illinois
TIME PERIOD
2005-2009
VICTIMS
3 confirmed
On May 8, 2005, in Zion, Illinois, eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias went missing while playing outside; their bodies were discovered the next day by Hobbs's father, both having suffered fatal stab wounds and sexual assault. Initially, authorities focused on Jerry Hobbs, the girls' ex-convict father, who was wrongfully imprisoned for five years before DNA evidence exonerated him. In February 2010, Jorge Avila-Torrez, a then-16-year-old neighbor acquainted with the victims, was apprehended and later linked to the murders through DNA evidence. Avila-Torrez was also convicted of murdering Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell in 2009 and received a death sentence, which was commuted to life without parole in December 2024. He is currently incarcerated, serving multiple life sentences for his crimes across Illinois and Virginia.
Investigators and the public believe that Jorge Avila-Torrez is responsible for the murders of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias, as well as the murder of a female petty officer in 2009. There is speculation that Avila-Torrez may have committed additional unsolved crimes in the area, given his violent history and the nature of his offenses. Some theories suggest that the initial focus on Jerry Hobbs in the investigation may have delayed the pursuit of Avila-Torrez as a suspect.
The Sinister Path of Jorge Avila-Torrez: A True Crime Narrative
The Beginning of a Dark Journey
Jorge Avila-Torrez was born on August 18, 1988, in Zion, Illinois. As an American serial killer and rapist, his crimes spanned several states and left a trail of devastation. His notoriety began in 2005, within the familiar confines of his neighborhood, where he committed his first murders. By 2009, his heinous acts reached a military base, culminating in federal charges and a death sentence later commuted to life without parole.
The Tragedy of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias
Mother's Day, May 8, 2005, started with the innocent joy of two young girls, eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias, riding their bicycles around their Zion neighborhood. As the day turned to night and shadows lengthened, their families grew anxious when the girls failed to return home. A frantic search ensued, mobilizing police and volunteers, but hope turned to despair the following day when Laura's father, Jerry Hobbs, discovered their lifeless bodies. Both girls had suffered brutal stab wounds to their necks and faces and were sexually assaulted.
The immediate suspect was Jerry Hobbs himself. As an ex-convict with a complicated past, including an incident involving a chainsaw, suspicion easily fell upon him. After a grueling interrogation, he confessed to the murders, a confession that would see him unjustly jailed for five years, despite DNA evidence in 2008 proving his innocence.
The Underestimated Neighbor
At the time of the murders, 16-year-old Jorge Avila-Torrez was just another face in the neighborhood, known to the girls as a friend of Krystal's older half-brother. This connection would later prove sinister as his true nature emerged.
Military Service and More Murders
Following the neighborhood tragedy, Avila-Torrez joined the Marines, a move that took him far from Zion but not from his dark impulses. Stationed at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall in Arlington County, Virginia, he struck again. In 2009, 20-year-old Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Jean Snell, a promising Naval Military Intelligence specialist, was found strangled in the barracks. Her murder went unsolved until Avila-Torrez’s later crimes unraveled his string of violence.
A Night of Terror and Arrest
February 2010 marked the beginning of the end for Avila-Torrez's freedom. In Northern Virginia, he stalked and abducted two women, binding them with electrical cords in their Ballston apartment. One woman endured a horrific ordeal; Avila-Torrez drove her to a secluded spot, raped, and strangled her, leaving her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and reported the crime, leading to his arrest. DNA evidence from this case linked him back to the earlier murders.
Trials and Justice
In custody, Avila-Torrez shared a cell with Osama El-Atari, a convicted fraudster. Seeking a reduced sentence, El-Atari wore a wiretap, recording conversations that captured Avila-Torrez’s chilling lack of remorse and confessions to all three murders. This damning evidence, coupled with DNA results, found him guilty of rape and kidnapping in October 2010. By December, Arlington County Judge Benjamin Kendrick sentenced him to five life sentences plus 168 years.
Federal authorities charged Avila-Torrez in Amanda Snell's murder in 2011. Meanwhile, Jerry Hobbs received a $6 million settlement for his wrongful imprisonment.
In 2014, backed by the jailhouse confession and El-Atari's testimony, a federal jury sentenced Avila-Torrez to death for Snell's murder. This verdict marked the first death penalty sentence since 2007. A federal judge affirmed this decision a month later.
Final Reckoning and Commutation
Extradited back to Lake County, Avila-Torrez faced trial for the murders of Laura and Krystal. Despite attempts by his defense attorney, Jed Stone, to dismiss evidence and testimony, Avila-Torrez pled guilty on September 18, 2018, receiving a 100-year sentence. Justice Daniel Shanes pronounced him a serial killer with a lost soul, a sentiment echoing the gravity of his crimes.
On December 23, 2024, in a significant turn of events, President Joe Biden commuted Avila-Torrez's federal death sentence to life without parole, as part of a broader commutation for 37 individuals on federal death row.
Sources
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
- Oxygen.com
- ARLnow
- Daily Herald
- Lake County Chronicle
- Chicago Tribune
- The New Zealand Herald
- The Washington Post
- CBS News
- ABC 7
- White House
For more on Jorge Avila-Torrez, visit Wikipedia.
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Hobbs/Tobias Murders
Eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias go missing; their bodies are found the next day.
Avila-Torrez's Crimes Begin
Jorge Avila-Torrez, a teenager, is acquainted with the murdered girls.
Murder of Amanda Snell
Avila-Torrez murders Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall.
Avila-Torrez Arrested
Avila-Torrez is arrested after stalking and abducting two women in Virginia.
Guilty Verdict
Avila-Torrez is found guilty of rape and kidnapping charges.
Sentenced in Virginia
Avila-Torrez receives five life sentences plus 168 years for crimes in Virginia.
Death Sentence
A federal jury sentences Avila-Torrez to death for the murder of Amanda Snell.
Guilty Plea for Illinois Murders
Avila-Torrez pleads guilty to the murders of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias, receiving 100 years.
Death Sentence Commuted
President Biden commutes Avila-Torrez's death sentence to life without parole.
On May 8, 2005, in Zion, Illinois, eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias went missing while playing outside; their bodies were discovered the next day by Hobbs's father, both having suffered fatal stab wounds and sexual assault. Initially, authorities focused on Jerry Hobbs, the girls' ex-convict father, who was wrongfully imprisoned for five years before DNA evidence exonerated him. In February 2010, Jorge Avila-Torrez, a then-16-year-old neighbor acquainted with the victims, was apprehended and later linked to the murders through DNA evidence. Avila-Torrez was also convicted of murdering Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell in 2009 and received a death sentence, which was commuted to life without parole in December 2024. He is currently incarcerated, serving multiple life sentences for his crimes across Illinois and Virginia.
Investigators and the public believe that Jorge Avila-Torrez is responsible for the murders of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias, as well as the murder of a female petty officer in 2009. There is speculation that Avila-Torrez may have committed additional unsolved crimes in the area, given his violent history and the nature of his offenses. Some theories suggest that the initial focus on Jerry Hobbs in the investigation may have delayed the pursuit of Avila-Torrez as a suspect.
The Sinister Path of Jorge Avila-Torrez: A True Crime Narrative
The Beginning of a Dark Journey
Jorge Avila-Torrez was born on August 18, 1988, in Zion, Illinois. As an American serial killer and rapist, his crimes spanned several states and left a trail of devastation. His notoriety began in 2005, within the familiar confines of his neighborhood, where he committed his first murders. By 2009, his heinous acts reached a military base, culminating in federal charges and a death sentence later commuted to life without parole.
The Tragedy of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias
Mother's Day, May 8, 2005, started with the innocent joy of two young girls, eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias, riding their bicycles around their Zion neighborhood. As the day turned to night and shadows lengthened, their families grew anxious when the girls failed to return home. A frantic search ensued, mobilizing police and volunteers, but hope turned to despair the following day when Laura's father, Jerry Hobbs, discovered their lifeless bodies. Both girls had suffered brutal stab wounds to their necks and faces and were sexually assaulted.
The immediate suspect was Jerry Hobbs himself. As an ex-convict with a complicated past, including an incident involving a chainsaw, suspicion easily fell upon him. After a grueling interrogation, he confessed to the murders, a confession that would see him unjustly jailed for five years, despite DNA evidence in 2008 proving his innocence.
The Underestimated Neighbor
At the time of the murders, 16-year-old Jorge Avila-Torrez was just another face in the neighborhood, known to the girls as a friend of Krystal's older half-brother. This connection would later prove sinister as his true nature emerged.
Military Service and More Murders
Following the neighborhood tragedy, Avila-Torrez joined the Marines, a move that took him far from Zion but not from his dark impulses. Stationed at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall in Arlington County, Virginia, he struck again. In 2009, 20-year-old Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Jean Snell, a promising Naval Military Intelligence specialist, was found strangled in the barracks. Her murder went unsolved until Avila-Torrez’s later crimes unraveled his string of violence.
A Night of Terror and Arrest
February 2010 marked the beginning of the end for Avila-Torrez's freedom. In Northern Virginia, he stalked and abducted two women, binding them with electrical cords in their Ballston apartment. One woman endured a horrific ordeal; Avila-Torrez drove her to a secluded spot, raped, and strangled her, leaving her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and reported the crime, leading to his arrest. DNA evidence from this case linked him back to the earlier murders.
Trials and Justice
In custody, Avila-Torrez shared a cell with Osama El-Atari, a convicted fraudster. Seeking a reduced sentence, El-Atari wore a wiretap, recording conversations that captured Avila-Torrez’s chilling lack of remorse and confessions to all three murders. This damning evidence, coupled with DNA results, found him guilty of rape and kidnapping in October 2010. By December, Arlington County Judge Benjamin Kendrick sentenced him to five life sentences plus 168 years.
Federal authorities charged Avila-Torrez in Amanda Snell's murder in 2011. Meanwhile, Jerry Hobbs received a $6 million settlement for his wrongful imprisonment.
In 2014, backed by the jailhouse confession and El-Atari's testimony, a federal jury sentenced Avila-Torrez to death for Snell's murder. This verdict marked the first death penalty sentence since 2007. A federal judge affirmed this decision a month later.
Final Reckoning and Commutation
Extradited back to Lake County, Avila-Torrez faced trial for the murders of Laura and Krystal. Despite attempts by his defense attorney, Jed Stone, to dismiss evidence and testimony, Avila-Torrez pled guilty on September 18, 2018, receiving a 100-year sentence. Justice Daniel Shanes pronounced him a serial killer with a lost soul, a sentiment echoing the gravity of his crimes.
On December 23, 2024, in a significant turn of events, President Joe Biden commuted Avila-Torrez's federal death sentence to life without parole, as part of a broader commutation for 37 individuals on federal death row.
Sources
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
- Oxygen.com
- ARLnow
- Daily Herald
- Lake County Chronicle
- Chicago Tribune
- The New Zealand Herald
- The Washington Post
- CBS News
- ABC 7
- White House
For more on Jorge Avila-Torrez, visit Wikipedia.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Hobbs/Tobias Murders
Eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias go missing; their bodies are found the next day.
Avila-Torrez's Crimes Begin
Jorge Avila-Torrez, a teenager, is acquainted with the murdered girls.
Murder of Amanda Snell
Avila-Torrez murders Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall.
Avila-Torrez Arrested
Avila-Torrez is arrested after stalking and abducting two women in Virginia.
Guilty Verdict
Avila-Torrez is found guilty of rape and kidnapping charges.
Sentenced in Virginia
Avila-Torrez receives five life sentences plus 168 years for crimes in Virginia.
Death Sentence
A federal jury sentences Avila-Torrez to death for the murder of Amanda Snell.
Guilty Plea for Illinois Murders
Avila-Torrez pleads guilty to the murders of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias, receiving 100 years.
Death Sentence Commuted
President Biden commutes Avila-Torrez's death sentence to life without parole.