The Worst Child Murder in New Mexico History
Victoria Martens was born on August 23rd, 2006, and according to classmates, she was a sweet and thoughtful young girl. Victoria lived in Albuquerque with her mom, Michelle Martens, and her little brother. Victoria’s story is one of the worst child abuse cases in New Mexico history. This senseless death was absolutely avoidable and should have never happened. She is one of the countless children that the state of New Mexico has forgotten. Her death ignited fear and outrage in the community. The initial details of the case were so alarming that people were left wondering how something so grotesque and so harrowing could happen to a sweet young girl. Then, the entire case was at risk because of false and misleading statements made by witnesses, suspects, and even police.
Michelle was a single mom who was working to take care of her kids. She was born in the Bronx and moved to Texas and eventually, New Mexico. In 2016, Michelle was living in the Arroyo Villas Apartment complex on Albuquerque’s West Side. She had recently been hired at Smith’s, a subsidiary of Kroger Grocery Stores. She was excited to start this new job and according to her family, she recently passed a drug test to get the job. According to Michelle and her family, she loved her kids and worked hard to take care of them. But the events of August 24, 2016, would cast a shadow on Michelle and the entire…
