A man from California who was arrested on Sunday, July 19th, for the deaths of five people, might also be linked to the death of a 2-year-old child last year.
Marin Martinez , aged 30, was accused of murdering five people, including his small daughter and mother. Their bodies were found in the house from Modest, that he shared with his mother, Dr. Amanda Crews.
According to Modesto Police Chief Galen Carroll, the man had been a suspect in the 2-year-old boy’s murder ever since he died of “blunt force trauma”, last year, on October 2.
However, these investigations take time and it was not possible to issue an arrest warrant sooner because a pathologist’s report was necessary.
“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,” said Caroll.
Martinez could not have known about the report because very few people know details about the investigation.
According to the pathologist’s report, the boy’s murder was a result of abuse, as he had hit his head on the tile floor.
The daycare the boy went to also reported that the child had suffered three other injuries around the time he started his potty training.
Stanislaus County Child Protective Services had afterwards ordered Martinez not to come close to Amanda Crews’ children anymore.
Chief Carroll stated that the two murders are unlikely to be related, even if they were, most likely, committed by the same person. They were found on Saturday, July 18, at about 3:30 p.m., when the police was asked to do a security check on the home.
Amanda Crews was a doctor who worked at the Stanislaus County Child Protective Services. The agency declined to talk to the press, as they haven’t answered any of their phone calls.
Carroll said that the investigation is still ongoing and the authorities have not yet identified the motive of the crime. Details related to the cause of death or to the other victims have not been released either.
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