Clarence Martin Jr was given a life sentence after he threw his two-month-old daughter from a second-floor balcony following a row with his fiancée in 2020
A dad shockingly murdered his own two-month-old baby daughter by throwing her from a second-floor balcony and then setting an apartment fire that also killed his fiancée’s dog.
A judge has handed down a life sentence to Clarence Martin Jr, 37, despite his defence attorneys arguing he was “suffering from a mental health crisis at the time.”
District Judge Carli Kierny gave Martin a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 49-and-a half years at the request of the prosecution and an arrest report paints a chilling picture of the scene.
His fiancée, Nicole, called 911 around 3.40am, claiming that Martin had thrown their baby, named London, from their second-floor apartment in October of 2020 in Nevada, US.
She told police that Martin took the child to the balcony and came back moments later without the baby. She rushed downstairs to find the baby on the ground, not breathing after a 22-foot fall, reports the Mirror US.
A neighbour performed CPR until medical help arrived, but doctors at a local hospital pronounced the child dead, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A witness reported seeing Martin leaving the apartment shouting, “burn, (expletive) burn. This is what you get for cheating on me,” according to KVVU.
He also set a fire in the living room. A dog was found dead inside a cage, likely due to heat and smoke exposure.
As the flames spread, filling the apartment with smoke, seven other units had to be evacuated while Clark County firefighters responded.
Wild scenes unfolded as Martin, causing chaos on the road and hitting two vehicles, led police on a chase that ended at the airport, Fox reports. An airport worker noted Martin’s lack of shirt when he sneaked into a restricted area through a luggage conveyor.
He stumbled upon a TSA officer’s shirt in a break room, donned a yellow safety vest, but ditched his trousers. By the tarmac, Martin was spotted stowing items into an American Airlines van before authorities nabbed him.
While being held, Martin was overheard yelling, “Burn (expletive). Jefferys Street, Jefferys Street.”
His fiancée, who has been by his side for four years, told cops she knew about his mental health history, yet hadn’t seen any alarming behaviour until three days prior to the tragic event. She detailed how on the fateful day, she woke to Martin’s kicks at her and their baby, and his grabbing of their daughter as she tried to flee.
Legal papers reveal Martin’s schizoaffective disorder diagnosis, and his lawyer, Betsy Allen, informed District Judge Carli Kierny that his mental state deteriorated post-job loss amid the pandemic.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Parker Brooks acknowledged Martin’s severe mental health issues but insisted the judge bear in mind the victims, London and her mother, admitting that nothing could undo the tragic events. In response to the harrowing details of the case, Judge Kierny expressed her utter disbelief, saying: “I don’t say this lightly – this is the worst case I’ve ever seen. It boggles my mind.”
Initially convicted by a jury last October, Martin faced a litany of serious charges for the infant’s death, including two counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment with substantial bodily harm, first-degree arson, cruelty to animals, multiple assault and battery offences with deadly consequences, and attempted murder with a deadly weapon, as detailed in the court records.