17-month-old Alyssa Nunez was sexually and physically abused, doctors testify; Everal Martinez says he didn’t do it

By Breaking Belize News Staff: The prosecution has closed its case against 26-year-old Everald Martinez, who is charged with the murder of 17-month-old Alyssa Nunez, and the judge has decided to deliver the verdict in May.

Martinez’s trial-without-jury began on Monday, March 20, during which the prosecution called a number of witnesses including the child’s mother, biological father, grandmother, and the first medical responder who cared for her before she was transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).

The prosecution also called Dr. Cecilio Eck, who examined the child before she died, and Dr. Mario Estradabran, who conducted the post-mortem examination.

According to Dr. Eck’s testimony, the child was examined on February 28, 2018, and had multiple serious injuries including blood clots in the right eye, lacerations in the vagina and anus, bruises, and other injuries that, in his expert opinion, had been inflicted between 8-12 hours prior to being examined. The injuries were deemed to be consistent with sexual and physical abuse.

Dr. Estradabran testified that the child died of hemorrhaging in the brain, after languishing in intensive care for five days.

In his defense, Martinez gave an unsworn statement from the dock, stressing that the child started to display signs of illness so he contacted the mother and later they made arrangements to have her taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to be seen. He maintained that he did not in any way harm Nunez; however, since dock statements are unsworn, they are not subject to cross-examination by the prosecution.

Justice Ricardo O’Neil Sancroft has reserved judgment for May 2. The prosecution and defense will be submitting oral and written statements between April 6 and April 23.

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