In a case that shocked the nation, a ten-year-old girl suffered unimaginable cruelty on her birthday when she was sexually abused, murdered and dismembered while her own mother watched the horrific events unfold.
The Horrific Discovery
Albuquerque police officers responding to a domestic dispute call in 2018 arrived at a scene of pure horror. They discovered the remains of young Victoria Martens partially wrapped in a burning blanket. The initial 911 call had reported a domestic disturbance, but what officers found went far beyond any typical domestic incident.
Three individuals were immediately arrested at the scene: Victoria's mother, 35-year-old Michelle Martens; Michelle's boyfriend, 31-year-old Fabian Gonzales; and Gonzales' cousin, 31-year-old Jessica Kelley. All three faced multiple serious charges including first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, kidnapping, evidence tampering and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Disturbing Details Emerge
According to court documents and autopsy reports released months after the crime, Victoria had been sexually abused before being strangled to death on her tenth birthday. The subsequent investigation revealed even more chilling details about the events leading to her death.
Michelle Martens initially told investigators that Victoria had been given both alcohol and methamphetamine to calm her down so that Fabian Gonzales and Jessica Kelley could sexually assault her. However, the autopsy later contradicted part of this statement, finding only alcohol in Victoria's system - though not at levels that would have significantly impaired her cognitive functions.
Search warrants revealed that Michelle Martens had allegedly searched online for men to assault her daughter and admitted to allowing at least three different men to abuse Victoria prior to the fatal incident.
Legal Proceedings and Sentences
Despite initially pleading not guilty, Michelle Martens eventually accepted a plea bargain in 2018, admitting to one count of child abuse resulting in death. She received a 12-year prison sentence but was surprisingly released on October 14th, having served only a portion of her term.
Fabian Gonzales saw nine of the original charges against him dropped, including second-degree murder and criminal sexual penetration. He was ultimately convicted of child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence, receiving a 37-and-a-half year sentence. He will become eligible for parole after serving half of this term.
Jessica Kelley pleaded guilty to multiple charges including reckless child abuse resulting in death and received a 44-year sentence in 2022. However, she is also expected to serve less than half of her full sentence.
The case continues to raise serious questions about child protection systems and legal sentencing for those who enable or participate in crimes against children. Albuquerque police have not identified any of the additional men Michelle Martens claimed had previously abused her daughter.
