10-year-old drugged, raped, strangled, stabbed to death, dismembered and wrapped in a burning blanket on her birthday

A 10-year-old  girl who was brutally killed on her birthday in a gruesome murder that has sent rippling effects through the community where she lived in New Mexico, USA.


Police said Victoria Martens was drugged, sexually assaulted, strangled and stabbed to death before being dismembered and wrapped in a burning blanket inside her family’s Albuquerque apartment Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Victoria’s 35-year-old mother, Michelle Martens, her 31-year-old boyfriend, Fabian Gonzales, and his 31-year-old cousin, Jessica Kelley, face several charges in connection with the death, including child abuse resulting in death, kidnapping and tampering with evidence, the AP reports. Kelley was hospitalized and has not formally been charged; Martens and Gonzales’ defense attorney has not commented on the charges.

These are the people police say injected a child with meth then raped, tortured and eventually killed her, the night before her 10th birthday.  

“There are no words that can convey the sorrow and sadness I feel for the innocent child who was killed in this atrocious attack,” New Mexico Gov.Susana Martinez said in a statement. “What happened to this little girl is unspeakable, and justice should come down like a hammer on the monsters who committed this murder.”

The horrific details of the homicide have shaken the city, moving two locals to launch a massive gathering Sunday to honor the little girl, who was looking forward to a small birthday celebration that involved manicures and cake before she was killed. More than 1,000 mourners are expected to pay their respects is the little girl.

“It broke me down,” Erica Smith, the event organizer, said of the tragedy. “I cried myself to sleep. I prayed. When I woke up, the first thing in my mind was I want to give this girl a birthday party.”

Smith, 38, lives in Albuquerque but had never met Victoria or her family. She said she was touched by the story, as the mother of two children, and wanted to give Victoria the party she didn’t get to have.

She created a Facebook event page and invited her roughly 150 friends, and word of the party spread within an hour. More than 1,500 people were set to attend as of Friday. They’ll wear purple—Victoria’s favorite color—light candles and blow bubbles to send skyward at a local park, Smith said.

Wow, how sad!!!