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Thread: Martin Martinez Sentenced to 5 Consecutive Life Terms in 2015 CA Multiple Murders

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    Martin Martinez Sentenced to 5 Consecutive Life Terms in 2015 CA Multiple Murders



    Amanda Crews (right), a doctor in Turlock and Modesto, has been identified by friends and family as one of five victims in a Modesto homicide.


    Police think Martinez killed his 57-year-old mother, Anna Brown Romero, on Saturday as well.


    Elizabeth Ripley and Christopher Ripley




    Martin Martinez


    Person of interest sought after 5 found dead in CA home

    MODESTO, CA (KCRA/CNN) - Police were investigating after the bodies of five people - two adults and three children - were found in a home.

    Authorities have identified a person of interest in the case.

    "I don't know how they succumbed to their injuries or what transpired beforehand," said Heather Graves, Modesto Police spokesperson. "It's still pretty early in the investigation, so detectives are trying to obtain all the information that they can."

    Investigators said the deaths are homicides, although they didn't say how they died, their ages or their relationship to each other.

    Around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, officers received a call asking them to check on the home.

    "Either the family member or somebody the residents know called and showed some concern with the residence, and that's when we came out," Graves said. "When officers arrived, they found five deceased inside the residence."

    Neighbors of the quiet community came outside their homes to see about the commotion. Never did they expect to find a crime scene of this magnitude where they live.

    "You just don't expect that in your neighborhood. You think it's safe. You think it's quiet, and then you see this," neighbor Shawna Avery said.

    Modesto Police identified 30-year-old Martin Martinez as a "person of interest" in the deaths.

    They said he may be driving a red 2000 Lincoln Navigator, and should be considered armed and dangerous.

    http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/...ead-in-ca-home
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Baby, 2 young children among 5 victims in Modesto killings

    PD: Suspect fathered 1 of the victims; arrested on murder charges

    By Gamaliel Ortiz
    KCRA.com

    MODESTO, Calif. — A baby and two young girls under the age of 6 were among the five victims in a mass killing in Modesto linked to suspect Martin Martinez, who was arrested Sunday in San Jose on murder charges, officials said.

    The Modesto Police Department did not release a motive or cause of death for the killings, but said Martinez, 30, had a past relationship with one of the adult victims and had fathered one of the children, whose bodies were discovered Saturday.

    "It's devastating," said Heather Graves, a spokeswoman for Modesto police. "It's devastating not only to the families to the victims but to the neighbors here, as well, and to our law enforcement."

    Listen to full news briefing by Modesto police


    Officials confirmed that the five female victims were all family members. Their identities and exact relationships to one another were not released Sunday.

    It is unclear why a family friend or member called police Saturday to request a security check at the home, but when officials arrived they discovered all of the bodies. Officials did not say how long the bodies may have been inside the home. Martinez did not reside at the home, police said.

    Graves said that in her 14 years with the police department, she couldn't recall a situation to the extent of five homicide victims in one home. The five deaths bring the total of homicides victims in Modesto to 15 this year.

    On Saturday, officials in Modesto contacted the San Jose Police Department for assistance with the investigation and provided information on a person of interest, Martin Martinez.

    Police believe Martinez was en route to a family member's home in San Jose driving a red Lincoln Navigator SUV.

    Just before 10 p.m., San Jose police located the vehicle, but it was unoccupied in the 2400 block of Lucerne Way.

    Officers later received information that Martinez was not at the Lucerne Way address, but had left with a family member in a different vehicle.

    On Sunday around 1 a.m. officers found the vehicle, but it was also unoccupied in the parking lot at Oakridge Mall. A few moments later, Martinez was arrested without incident as he was walking back to the vehicle.

    Martinez was booked into Santa Clara County Jail.

    http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/...lings/34244334
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Amanda Crews, 2 daughters among victims in Modesto slayings

    PD: Suspect fathered 1 of the victims; arrested on murder charges

    By Dana Griffin
    KCRA.com

    MODESTO, Calif. — A baby and two young girls were among the five victims in a mass killing in Modesto linked to suspect Martin Martinez, who was arrested Sunday in San Jose on murder charges, officials said.

    Family members identified one of those victims as Amanda Crews, a physician, late Sunday afternoon.

    Crews was a family practitioner who, family members said, chose Modesto over a job offer in Seattle. The 38-year-old graduated from Boston University.

    Watch report: Community in shock after 5 killed in Modesto


    Family members of the victims said Martinez, 30, had a relationship with Crews and had fathered the six-month-old victim, Rachael Martinez.

    "It's devastating," said Heather Graves, a spokeswoman for Modesto police. "It's devastating not only to the families to the victims but to the neighbors here, as well, and to our law enforcement."

    Listen to full news briefing by Modesto police


    Family members said another victim was Crews' other daughter, six-year-old Elizabeth Ripley, and the third child was a friend of Elizabeth's who was at the home visiting before they all planned to go to a fair.

    Timothy Ripley, Crews' ex-husband and Elizabeth's biological father, told KCRA 3 that he is devastated.

    The fifth victim is an adult and police have not confirmed her relationship to the family.

    It is unclear why someone called police Saturday to request a security check at the home, but when officials arrived they discovered all of the bodies. Officials did not say how long the bodies may have been inside the home. Martinez did not reside at the home, police said.

    The Modesto Police Department did not release a motive or cause of death for the killings.

    Graves said that in her 14 years with the police department, she couldn't recall a situation to the extent of five homicide victims in one home. The five deaths bring the total of homicide victims in Modesto to 15 this year.

    Crews' Previous Loss


    Christopher Ray Ripley, 2


    Family members and friends said Crews experienced tragedy last year with the loss of her young son.

    Christopher Riley, 2, died in October after being in a coma.

    Family members said Christopher was injured under mysterious circumstances while in Martin Martinez's care.

    "Now she can be with her son again because she just lost her son like 6 or 7 months ago," said Mary Williams, one of Crews' patients.

    The Manhunt For Martinez

    On Saturday, officials in Modesto contacted the San Jose Police Department for assistance with the investigation and provided information on a person of interest, Martin Martinez.

    Police believe Martinez was en route to a family member's home in San Jose driving a red Lincoln Navigator SUV.

    Just before 10 p.m., San Jose police located the vehicle, but it was unoccupied in the 2400 block of Lucerne Way.

    Officers later received information that Martinez was not at the Lucerne Way address, but had left with a family member in a different vehicle.

    On Sunday around 1 a.m. officers found the vehicle, but it was also unoccupied in the parking lot at Oakridge Mall. A few moments later, Martinez was arrested without incident as he was walking back to the vehicle.

    Martinez was booked into Santa Clara County Jail.

    http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/...lings/34244334
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Police believe suspect in 5 homicides in Calif. also killed 2-year-old

    MODESTO, Calif. -- Police said Monday that a suspect in the homicides of five people whose bodies were found in a Northern California home this weekend is also responsible for the death of a toddler left in his care last year.

    Martin "Marty" Martinez, 30, was arrested early Sunday morning as he left a San Jose movie theater with his father.

    Modesto Police Chief Galen Carroll said at a news conference Monday that a pathologist concluded on Thursday that 2-year-old Christopher Ripley died of "blunt force trauma" to the head on Oct. 2, 2014.

    Carroll said Martinez had been under investigation since the boy's death in a local hospital and that authorities were preparing to formally charge him with homicide when five bodies were found Saturday afternoon in the Modesto home he used to share with Dr. Amanda Crews.

    Crews, 38, was Ripley's mother and one of the five homicide victims found Saturday. Martinez's mother and his daughter with Crews were also found dead along with an unidentified 5-year-old girl. Martinez is a suspect in the five homicides, Carroll said.

    Carroll said police obtained a warrant for Martinez's arrest for the toddler's death Saturday night, after the five bodies were discovered.

    Carroll said police didn't issue a warrant earlier because they were awaiting the pathologist's written report.

    "The Modesto Police did not drop the ball," Carroll said. He said the investigation of Ripley's death took nine months because the department had to hire an outside pathologist who specializes in neurology to help with the case.

    "Homicides do take a great deal of time to investigate," Carroll said. Carroll said a "limited" number of law enforcement officials knew of the pathologist's verbal report delivered to police on Thursday that Ripley was a homicide victim. Carroll said he believes Martinez didn't know of the pathologist's report.

    "We do not believe that played a factor in this incident," Carroll said of possible motives for the five homicides. Their bodies were found at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday after police received a call asking for a "security check" of the home.

    Carroll declined to divulge the cause of deaths Saturday. He said investigators haven't yet determined a motive.

    Crews was a doctor and worked for the Stanislaus County Health Service Agency, according to the California Medical Board. The agency didn't return several phone calls.

    Modesto Police spokeswoman Heather Graves said counselors and chaplains are available for the officers who first entered the home and made the grisly discovery. A group of law enforcement officials could be seen huddled together and praying in front of the house shortly after the discovery of the bodies.

    The house is in an upscale subdivision lined with four- and five-bedroom homes that were built less than 10 years ago.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-b...ed-2-year-old/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Martin Martinez arrest warrant: Child's head hit tile floor

    Martinez not yet arrested in 5 killings inside Modesto home

    By Ken Oliver
    KCRA.com

    MODESTO, Calif. — An arrest warrant issued for Martin Martinez, who is suspected in the killings of five people in a Modesto home, revealed new details about the death of a 2-year-old Christopher Ripley, who was allegedly in his care.

    Tim Ripley, the father of Christopher and Elizabeth Ripley, and Crews' ex-husband, told KCRA 3 Tuesday that Child Protective Services got involved after Christopher died in October.

    Ripley said CPS ordered Crews to keep Elizabeth -- whose body was also discovered Saturday -- away from Martinez for a year, but his ex-wife refused to listen.

    Watch report: Why it took so long to get warrant for Martinez


    An arrest warrant was issued after the bodies of Martinez's mother, ex-girlfriend, child and two other little girls were discovered in a home on Nob Hill Court. The warrant also came two days after a Santa Clara County forensic specialist reported her findings Thursday to police.

    The warrant states Martinez was watching Christopher on Sept. 30, 2014 while Ripley's mom, Amanda Crews, was out picking up Christopher's sister, Elizabeth.

    Crews and Elizabeth Ripley were among the five bodies discovered on Saturday.

    Although Martinez is a suspect in the quintuple homicides, he has only been arrested in connection with Christopher's death. The district attorney's office has not filed any additional murder charges.

    Police said they interviewed Martinez after the Christopher's hospitalization and death on Oct. 2, 2014.

    Police said Martinez told them he was "wrestling" with the boy. Martinez said he lifted Christopher 3 feet off the ground when the child fell back and hit his head on a tile floor "really hard and became unconscious."

    Martinez's account during his interview differed from what he told 911 dispatchers and was also different than what witnesses recalled Martinez saying, investigators said.

    McGeorge School of Law professor John Myers said those different accounts could become key evidence.

    "That's very common in these cases because if you are lying, it's hard to keep the story straight," Myers said. "So changing the story is very common in these scenarios."

    Myers added it's not uncommon for forensic specialists to take nine months to come back with findings in a case like this.

    "The amount of time to do thorough workup can vary from a few weeks to months, and in extreme cases, many months," Myers said. "You might want to have it looked at by pathologists who aren't in the state."

    Legal experts told KCRA 3 that police could have tried to arrest Martinez before the forensic reports were finished, but they ran the risk the charges might not stick.

    "Sometimes you know someone is guilty, but you can't prove it so you don't want to bring the case too soon because you don't want to go trial and get an acquittal," former federal prosecutor William Portanova said.

    Martinez remains in a Santa Clara County Jail awaiting extradition to Stanislaus County.

    http://www.kcra.com/news/martin-mart...floor/34285676
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Timeline: Investigation into boy's death, then mass killing in Modesto

    Martin Martinez, 30, arrested as murder suspect

    By Gamaliel Ortiz
    KCRA.com

    MODESTO, Calif. — The suspect in the homicides of five people whose bodies were found in a Modesto home this weekend is also responsible for the death of a toddler left in his care last year, police said.

    Here's a list of key events in the Nob Hill Court homicides case.

    October 2014 -- Two-year-old Christopher Ripley suffers head injuries. Christopher later died from the trauma on Oct. 2, 2014, officials said. Martin Martinez was home alone with Ripley before the boy was taken to the hospital. Christopher was Amanda Crews' son from a previous marriage.

    July 16, 2015 -- Two days before officials located five bodies in the Nob Hill Court homicides, Ripley's death is determined to have been caused by "blunt force trauma."

    July 18, 2015 -- A concerned friend calls police to request a security check at the home on Nob Hill Court. When officials arrive they discover all five of the bodies. The victims are Amanda Crews, 38; Anna Brown Romero, 57; Rachael Martinez, 6 months old; Elizabeth Ripley, 6; and an unidentified relative, 5.

    Police obtain a warrant for Martinez's arrest for the toddler's death after the five bodies were discovered.

    Approximately 9:58 p.m. July 19 -- San Jose police officers locate a red Lincoln Navigator, believed to be occupied by the person of interest, Martin Martinez. It was unoccupied in the 2400 block of Lucerne Way.

    Just after midnight July 20 -- Police locate a second vehicle linked to Martinez. It was unoccupied. Martinez is later seen walking back to the vehicle at Oakridge Mall and is taken into custody.

    July 20 -- Officials announce the arrest of Martinez on murder charges.

    http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/...desto/34267782
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Suspect in deaths of girlfriend, family set for return to Modesto

    The primary suspect in the weekend slayings of his girlfriend, his mother and three children inside a Village I home will be brought back to Modesto from San Jose on Thursday.

    Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves said detectives will retrieve Martin Martinez from the jail in San Jose, where he was arrested Sunday on a warrant in the October death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old child, Christopher Ripley.

    Police Chief Galen Carroll said Martinez is expected to make his first court appearance Monday. He will be booked at the jail on suspicion of murder in Christopher’s death.

    On Saturday, police found the bodies of Martinez’s girlfriend, Dr. Amanda Crews, 38; Martinez’s mother, Anna Brown Romero, 57; and three children inside the home on Nob Hill Court in Modesto. Police did not release the names of the children who were killed but friends and family identified two of them as Crews’ and Martinez’s 6-month-old daughter, Rachael, and Crews’ daughter from a previous relationship, 6-year-old Elizabeth. The other child was a 5-year-old girl police said was Martinez’s niece.

    Martinez has been under investigation in the death of Crews’ 2-year-old since the boy’s death in October.

    Investigators were given verbal confirmation from a medical expert Thursday that the death was a homicide resulting from abuse, which was two days before the Nob Hill Court deaths.

    Detectives obtained a Ramey warrant for Martinez after the bodies were discovered to expedite his arrest. A Ramey warrant allows investigators to bypass prosecutors by going directly to a judge.

    The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office is expected to file charges against Martinez this week.

    http://www.modbee.com/news/local/cri...e28367812.html


    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    California suspect in 6 homicides charged with murder

    MODESTO, Calif. (AP) - A Northern California man suspected of killing four children and two women has been charged with murder in one of the deaths.

    The Stanislaus County district attorney's office on Thursday charged 30-year-old Martin Martinez with murder and child endangerment in the October death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old boy.

    Martinez remained free until his arrest Sunday while the Modesto Police Department investigated.

    The toddler died of head injuries suffered in fall while in Martinez' care. Martinez told police the injuries were caused by an accident.

    Martinez is also suspected of the Saturday killing of his girlfriend, their 6-month-old daughter, his girlfriend's 6-year-old daughter, his mother and an unidentified 5-year-old girl.

    Martinez remains jailed in Modesto, and it's unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who could comment on the case.

    http://www.ktvn.com/story/29618764/c...ed-with-murder
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Suspect in Modesto homicides pleads not guilty to murder charge in separate case

    By Rosalio Ahumada
    The Modesto Bee

    Martin Martinez sat stoically next to his defense attorney Thursday afternoon in his first courtroom appearance.

    Martinez, 30, has been in custody since early Sunday, and he was brought back to Modesto from a San Jose jail late Wednesday. The Modesto man is suspected in the weekend deaths of five people. But his arraignment Thursday was only on charges in the October death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son, Christopher Ripley. The defendant is charged with murder and child abuse causing death.

    Prosecutors have declined to say when they will file charges in the weekend slayings of the other five people: Dr. Amanda Crews; her two children, 6-year-old Elizabeth and 6-month-old Rachael; his mother, Anna Brown Romero, 57; and a 5-year-old girl believed to be his niece. Police found the bodies Saturday afternoon in a Nob Hill Court home in Village I, a middle-class subdivision in northeast Modesto; they were called to the house on a security check.

    Timothy Ripley, Crews’ former husband, is the father of Christopher and Elizabeth. Crews, 38, and Martinez were the parents of Rachael. The relationship between Martinez and Crews at the time of her death is unclear. Modesto police Chief Galen Carroll has said it appears the two were still together, though Martinez had moved out of the home a couple of months ago.

    Martinez was ushered into the courtroom wearing a red-and-white jail inmate jumpsuit and shackles on his wrists and ankles. He spoke only when Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Ricardo Córdova asked for the correct pronunciation of his first name.

    Stephen Foley, Martinez’s attorney, entered a not guilty plea on the behalf of his client. Foley has declined to comment about the case.

    Chief Deputy District Attorney Annette Rees asked the judge to set Martinez’s bail at $5 million, citing a risk of him fleeing, and said there is an “extreme risk” to the public’s safety if he is released from custody.

    Foley asked the judge to reserve a discussion over the bail amount to a later date when he has more information from prosecutors.

    The judge set Martinez’s bail at $5 million for the time being. Córdova scheduled Martinez to return to court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing.

    The defense attorney said in court that he had only received a copy of the Ramey warrant used to arrest Martinez in San Jose early Sunday. A Ramey warrant is obtained by police agencies directly from a judge, bypassing prosecutors to expedite the arrest.

    The courtroom was crowded with court staff, prosecutors, news media, several bailiffs, and relatives and friends of the victims, including Timothy Ripley. They were ushered into the courtroom separately, and they left the courthouse without making any statements.

    ‘They were trying to reconcile’


    Crews’ stepfather, Ron Beidleman of Fallon, Nev., said in a phone interview Thursday that his stepdaughter and Martinez had broken up after Christopher’s death.

    “They were trying to reconcile,” Beidleman said, “but it was not going well.”

    Family members were ushered into and out of court for Martinez’s arraignment and could not be reached for comment. But Beidleman said, “We are just devastated that we lost so many lives.” He added that the family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of condolences. Beidleman said he was Crews’ stepdad for 31 years and she has a sister and brother.

    The Ramey warrant used to arrest Martinez includes a declaration from Modesto police Detective Phil Owen detailing allegations surrounding the boy’s death. Córdova reviewed the detective’s declaration and signed the Ramey warrant.

    Christopher suffered a head injury Sept. 30 and died at a hospital two days later. Day care workers documented three previous injuries the boy had suffered around the time the child started potty training while under the care of Martinez, according to the warrant.

    Crews denied that Martinez caused the injuries but acknowledged that he was present during two of them. Martinez was alone with Christopher when he suffered his fatal head injury. The detective wrote in the declaration that Martinez’s story about how Christopher was injured changed several times during the course of the investigation.

    Two days before the five people were found dead inside the house on Nob Hill Court, detectives received verbal notification from a medical expert who determined Christopher’s death was a homicide. The expert reported that the “method of death was consistent with Christopher’s head hitting the tile floor as a result of abuse,” reads the warrant.

    John Goold, a spokesman for the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, said they will not discuss specific facts about the murder case in the boy’s death, and they will not discuss when they expect to file charges in the past weekend’s slayings.

    “I cannot comment on a pending investigation,” Goold said to a group of news reporters outside the courthouse after Thursday’s hearing.

    Carroll has said police were about two weeks away from arresting Martinez in Christopher’s death when the weekend homicides occurred. Detectives had completed their investigation and were awaiting a report from a medical expert who reviewed Christopher’s death.

    The expert called the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office July 16 to say Christopher’s death was a homicide. The report was being completed before being turned over to authorities so charges could be filed.

    Carroll said detectives obtained the Ramey warrant Saturday after the homicides to pick up Martinez, who had gone to San Jose, where he has family. San Jose police arrested him early Sunday as he walked out of a movie theater with his father.

    Martinez has worked as a stock/delivery clerk for the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency since 2004. The county confirmed Thursday that Martinez still is an employee. Crews had worked as a doctor in HSA clinics, most recently in Modesto.

    Friends and family members have described Crews as a talented, caring doctor.

    Sheriff Adam Christianson noted that Martinez and Crews could not access the coroner’s office computers because they are not accessible by other county computer systems. He added that the medical expert called the coroner’s office with her finding that Christopher’s death was a homicide.

    Security tight


    When the judge scheduled Martinez’s next court hearing, he said he would like to call up Martinez’s case immediately, because his appearances will create a burden on sheriff’s officials providing security. The judge said officials had to clear the inmate tunnel from the downtown Modesto jail to the courthouse to ensure the defendant’s safety. He said that will have to happen each time Martinez is brought to court, essentially bringing the courthouse to a standstill.

    As spectators entered the courtroom Thursday, court staff scanned each person with a metal-detector wand, an unusual security measure. Generally, people are scanned only once, when they enter the courthouse.

    Christianson said for his safety, Martinez is being housed at the county’s Public Safety Center.

    “Typically in cases involving the death of a child, we take those additional steps because criminals themselves, within their own culture, are not widely accepting of people who kill children,” Christianson said in an email. “This is a normal precautionary measure that we take to ensure the safety and security of our facilities, which includes staff and inmates.”

    Christianson said Martinez is “not being treated any differently than we would treat any other homicide suspect who finds himself in the same or similar circumstances.”

    http://www.modbee.com/news/local/cri...e28396087.html

    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Suspect in northeast Modesto homicides appears in court

    By Rosalio Ahumada
    The Modesto Bee

    A judge this morning set a preliminary hearing Aug. 7 for a Modesto man suspected in five deaths and accused in a sixth.

    Authorities say Martin Martinez, 30, is the prime suspect in the deaths of his girlfriend, her two children, their infant daughter, his mother and his niece earlier this month. But has only been charged with murder and child abuse causing death in the Oct. 2 death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son, Christopher Ripley.

    Prosecutors have declined to say when they will file charges in the July 18 slayings of the other five people, who include Martinez’s girlfriend Dr. Amanda Crews, 38; their daughter 6-month-old Rachael; Crews’ daughter 6-year-old Elizabeth; his mother, Anna Brown Romero, 57; and a 5-year-old girl, believed to be Martinez’s niece.

    The two women and the three children were found dead inside a two-story house in a northeast Modesto neighborhood.

    In his first court appearance last week, the defendant refused to waive his right to have a preliminary hearing within 10 court days of his arraignment. At the conclusion of a preliminary hearing, the judge would decide whether there’s enough evidence for the defendant to stand trial.

    But Martinez can still change his mind and waive his right at his next court date, set for Monday. Stephen Foley, Martinez’s attorney, told the judge last week that he wanted to obtain and review discovery evidence from the prosecution before deciding whether to advise his client to waive his right to a preliminary hearing in a timely manner.

    The defense attorney has said in court that he had only received a copy of the Ramey warrant used to arrest Martinez in San Jose July 19. The Ramey warrant is obtained by police agencies directly from a judge, bypassing prosecutors to expedite the arrest.

    The Ramey warrant used to arrest Martinez includes a declaration from Modesto police Detective Phil Owen detailing allegations surrounding the boy’s death. Superior Court Judge Ricardo Córdova reviewed the detective’s declaration and signed the Ramey warrant.

    Christopher suffered a head injury Sept. 30 and died at a hospital two days later. Day care workers documented three previous injuries the boy had suffered around the time the child started potty training while under the care of Martinez, according to the warrant.

    Crews denied Martinez caused the injuries but acknowledged that he was present during two of them. Martinez was alone with Christopher when he suffered his fatal head injury. The detective wrote in the declaration that Martinez’s story about how

    Christopher was injured changed several times during the course of the investigation.

    Two days before the five people were found dead inside the house on Nob Hill Court, detectives received verbal notification from a medical expert who determined Christopher’s death was a homicide. The expert reported that the “method of death was consistent with Christopher’s head hitting the tile floor as a result of abuse,” reads the warrant.

    http://www.modbee.com/news/local/cri...e29346724.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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