ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Michelle Martens, the mother of 10-year-old Victoria Martens, has been released from prison after serving nine years of a 12-year sentence for her role in her daughter’s death.
Victoria was killed on her 10th birthday, August 23, 2016, inside her mother’s apartment on Albuquerque’s Westside. Her body was found dismembered and partially burned in a bathtub, wrapped in a blanket. An autopsy determined she died from manual strangulation and showed signs of prior sexual abuse. Some of her organs, including her heart and parts of her liver, were removed and found in a plastic bag at the scene. The autopsy also revealed that Victoria had alcohol in her system at the time of her death.
Martens was not accused of directly killing her daughter but admitted to failing to protect her from harm. She pleaded no contest to child abuse resulting in death and was sentenced in 2022. Her early release accounts for time served in pre-trial detention and good behavior credits. According to a spokesperson for the Correction Department, She will now serve five years of probation, with two of those years on parole.
Two others were convicted in connection with the case. Jessica Kelley, who was present at the time of the killing, pleaded no contest to multiple charges including reckless child abuse resulting in death and is serving a 44-year sentence. Fabian Gonzales, Martens’ then-boyfriend, was convicted of child abuse with reckless disregard and sentenced to 37.5 years. Investigators have stated that a fourth, unidentified man may have been involved, but no additional arrests have been made.
The case remains one of the most disturbing in Albuquerque’s recent history, drawing widespread attention and prompting calls for systemic reforms in child protection and criminal investigations.
