In a quiet Las Vegas neighborhood, the life of a nearly six-month-old infant boy named Henry Martinez came to a tragic end. On the night of August 3, 2016, emergency services were dispatched to a home on White Mulberry Drive after a 911 call about an unresponsive child. First responders found young Henry with apparent swelling to his brain and transported him to University Medical Center.
Despite medical efforts, Henry passed away two days later, just four days shy of his six-month birthday.
The Clark County coroner later determined that Henry's death was a homicide resulting from blunt force injuries to his head and neck. An autopsy revealed the infant had also suffered blunt force injuries to his torso, and the nature of these extensive injuries, found on multiple areas of his body, was deemed definitive for child physical abuse.
The initial account provided to first responders by the boy's father, 33-year-old Assuan Martinez, was that Henry had choked on a bottle. However, medical examiners and pediatric specialists who reviewed the infant's injuries and autopsy report concluded that they were the result of abuse, not attempts at first aid. First responders also noted odd behavior from Assuan Martinez, describing him as "nonchalant" and overhearing him tell the baby's mother over the phone, "the baby's dead. You need to come home." He also did not request to ride in the ambulance with his son.
Following a monthslong investigation, Assuan Martinez was arrested and charged with his son's murder. The investigation uncovered discrepancies in his story, including the discovery of wet baby clothes in a sink, which he had not mentioned, and the presence of Henry's blood on an ottoman in the living room that was never explained. Authorities alleged that in addition to the acts he admitted to, he had also forcefully shaken Henry and soaked him in water while he was unconscious. Assuan Martinez was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and was later released on bond after surrendering his passport.
