Stephanie Martinez
Five years old - Died December 31, 2001
On December 26, 2001, a woman named Clenteen Sue Williams
submerged Stephanie Martinez in a scalding hot tub of water and then allowed
the burn blisters to become infected causing Septis, which causes baceria
to grow in the blood of untreated second and third degree burns. Stephanie
died five days later.
Clenteen claims that she ran warm bath water into
the tub for Stepanie to take a bath and that she tested it with her own
elbow to be sure that it was not to hot. She claims that she then left
the room and about 15 minutes later heard screaming and returned to the
bathroom to find Stephanie sitting in scalding hot water and she then immediately
took her out and treated her burns with Aloe Vera and Epsom Salts. Clenteen
also denies ever beating Stephanie but could not explain the bruises
she had on her body, head and face. She claims that these children were
always hurting themselves. She had this to say:
"I never beat her on the head.The little girl
and little boy, they throwed the tantrums, they beat their heads
on the floor and against the wall. These children have terrible problems
that we don't know how to deal with, I had the little girl right here,
and here she and her brother, they get upset about something, they
going to throw the tantrum. I said, I'm not having these tantrums, so you
just cut it out. I'm not having these tantrums and you
being hurtful to your own self."
An autopsy performed on Stephanie showed more than
100 injuries, which her grandmother claimed she gave to herself. Clenteen
told police that she was afraid that she would be charged with child abuse
if she took Stephanie to the hospital. Clenteen did admit to hitting stephanie
with an extension cord on her burned legs and her bottom on the same day
that she died.
Unbelievably, Clenteen's relatives asked the judge
for mercy claiming that she was only guilty of taking on the responsibility
of more children than she could care for.
In March of 2003, Clenteen was sentenced to the
maxium term of 48 years in prison.
For information about preventing child abuse in the
state of Colorado, click the links below. If they can't help you, ask for
someone who can. NEVER give up looking for help for an abused child!
Colorado
Children's Trust Fund
Child
Abuse And Neglect Prevention
Call this number to report
child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453
  
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