A mother’s primary duty is to nurture her children and protect them from the dangers that lurk in the outer world. But what if they’re the ones purposely inviting danger inside their own home? Michelle Martens was a mother of two living inside an apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sickening enough, she would seek out men online to engage in sexual acts with her two children, one of them being Victoria Martens, while she stood by and watched for her own pleasure. On August 23, 2016, Victoria turned 10-years-old. On that same day, her mother invited over Fabian Gonzales and his cousin, Jessica Kelley, to have sex with her daughter. Victoria was given alcohol and methamphetamine so that she would stay calm during the abuse. At about 4:30 AM the next day, neighbors heard screaming coming from Michelle’s apartment. Shortly after, Michelle and Fabian rushed to their neighbors to report that Jessica had tried attacking them with an iron. Police went over to the apartment to investigate and noted smoke streaming out from behind the closed bathroom door. None of them were prepared for what they were about to see once they opened that door. It was the dismembered remains of Victoria, partially wrapped in a burning blanket. The little girl had been sexually assaulted, stabbed, and strangled. She was then dismembered and her body was set on fire. After the murder, Michelle cooked for her daughter’s killers and they had sex. An autopsy revealed that Victoria had an STD at the time of her death.
All three were arrested and slapped with the same charges: first-degree murder, child abuse, kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and, lastly, contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
