Many still remember early reports in Victoria Martens’ death now considered false

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There have been many details in the case of the death of 10-year-old Victoria Martens that investigators and prosecutors later said were not true.

In the first few months after the horrific murder, investigators released specific details Victoria’s mom, Michelle Martens, gave them.

She told police she allowed men to rape Victoria, saying she sought them online and at work. Martens reportedly said she didn’t do it for money – but for her own enjoyment.

She also told investigators the night of Victoria’s death she watched as the other two suspects gave her daughter meth and raped her, saying, “I let them do it.”

Martens claimed she saw Fabian Gonzales choke and kill Victoria and both he and Jessica Kelley mutilated her body. 

But nearly two years later, in 2018, Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez made a shocking announcement – for whatever reason, Michelle Martens had given false statements.

She and Gonzales were not home when Victoria was killed. Victoria did not have drugs in her system when she died, and there is no evidence Martens had been trafficking her daughter for sex.

Martens’ attorney Gary Mitchell commented at the time, saying, “Michelle doesn’t function at the same level most of us do. She has spent her life saying things to please people. So if you ask her something, she’s going to respond in a way that she thinks that you like.”

The other revelation at that time, was Torrez saying a fourth person was there that night, and that mystery man is the one who killed Victoria.

In the end, Martens and Kelley avoided trials and rape charges were dropped against Kelley. Prosecutors threw out the most serious charges against Gonzales before his trial, including murder and rape.