Autopsy: New Mexico girl was strangled on 10th birthday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A New Mexico girl was strangled to death on her 10th birthday before she was dismembered and her remains set on fire, according to an autopsy released months after police uncovered the sexual abuse they say she suffered at the hands of her mother and others leading up to her killing.
The slaying of Victoria Martens sent shockwaves across the state in August and made national headlines as her mother, Michelle Martens, the mother’s boyfriend and his cousin were charged. They have pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges and are in custody pending an October trial.
The autopsy results, made public Monday, included evidence of prior sexual abuse and indicated that the girl was raped and strangled before her body was dismembered Aug. 23. Her spine was fractured, and she suffered both blunt and sharp injuries. Some of her organs were removed.
Police found the girl’s body in a bathtub, wrapped in a smouldering blanket. They were initially called to the apartment complex over a disturbance involving the suspects, unaware of what they would find inside the home.