Man Walks Free from Rape and Murder Charge of Infant Stepdaughter

Everald Martinez

Twenty-two-year-old Everald Martinez, who was charged with rape and murder of his seventeen-month-old stepdaughter, walked out of the courtroom a free man today.  Martinez had spent five years behind bars for the incident after baby Allyssa Nunez was sexually molested, raped and beaten with a blunt object in March of 2018. Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Sandcroft, in delivering the not guilty verdict, said “I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused, Everal Martinez committed the offense”. With that he found Martinez not guilty of murder and he was told he was free to go. In his ruling, Justice Sandcroft noted that the proof of guilt must be beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the evidence must convince him beyond a reasonable doubt because he is not to speculate. Justice Sandcroft also looked at several other factors in the trial being, that while he was convinced a murder was committed, in this case, there was no direct evidence, just circumstantial evidence. He noted that there were two expert testimonies, that of Doctor Cecilio Eck, the pediatrician who first saw the baby, then Doctor Mario Estradabran who performed the post-mortem examination. Doctor Estradabran concluded that the baby died due to head trauma inflicted by a blunt object. But in Justice Sandcroft’s review of the evidence from the Crown, Doctor Estradabran’s evidence conflicted with that of Doctor Eck’s. Doctor Estradabran, when asked what kind of object could have caused the baby’s injuries, said a wallet or any blunt object. In his view, the Crown could not establish a case against Martinez because there were many inconsistencies. He also took into account what Martinez said from the dock; that he loved baby Allyssa as his own child and that he could or would never have hurt her.  And while the Crown’s allegations were that baby Allyssa was left in Martinez’ care when she sustained her injuries, the child was also left with others prior to being rushed to the clinic. Martinez’ trial started on March twenty-second. He was represented by Attorney, Oscar Selgado. When we tried to get his comments, Martinez was angry saying, the media already put out things about him he didn’t like, so he refrained from commenting and rushed away into a vehicle parked at the Belize City Council parking lot on Regent Street.