Mass Murder Defendant Martin Martinez lived just 2 minutes away from Amanda Crews

This is one of those crimes that haunts you because it's so difficult to understand what could have precipitated such extreme acts of violence.  Martin Martinez believed to have killed the most important women in his life.  Among the dead are his girlfriend and mother of his 6 month old daughter (Dr Amanda Crews), 6 month old daughter Rachel), his mother (Anna Romero) and a niece.  These were significant people in his life that he simply eradicated from this earth.  The question is why?  Why the younger children? 

I believe it's easier for us to understand murders that happen between spouses and former spouses.  But it nearly impossible to understand why the children ranging from 6 months to 6 years old were killed.  Nothing really has been released on the crime scene in this case - no details to speculate upon.  I'd imagine there was an argument between Martin and Amanda which escalated. Perhaps Martin's mother Anna attempted to come to Amanda's aid and was killed as well.  We won't know until trial information starts coming out.

I may have mentioned that my interest in this case is two fold. First and foremost, it was a mass murder involving a family and a single female physician raising 3 children on her own.  Martinez has also been charged in the death of Amanda Crews' 2 year old son Christopher in 2014.  That brings the body count to 6. The second reason I'm fascinated by the case is the close proximity of where this crime occurred. After Martin Martinez was ordered out Dr. Crews home following the death of Christopher by CPS, he moved into an apartment that happens to be RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from where I currently live.

Yesterday I took the drive from Martinez' apartment on Oakdale Rd. to Amanda's home on Nob Hill Drive - I didn't know exactly where I was going but found it within 2-3 minutes.  It wouldn't have taken him much time at all to be in and out of there.  It's a quiet street, newer homes and there are still some new houses being built in the area.  Maybe that is part of the reason we haven't heard reports from neighbors of screams or other odd noises?  Or perhaps it's just being withheld by police.

This is unreal to me - to have an alleged mass murderer who lived right across the street.  Modesto has traditionally been known for a place where older people live and retire - and some agriculture.  It's becoming an excessively violent place to live now.  There are gangs, robberies, rapes and murders here.  I don't enjoy living here, but I'm here for now because I'm taking care of my disabled mother.  I'm more accustomed to living it Contra Costa County where there is still crime, but not like Modesto.

This will be the first time I may have the time and opportunity to attend a murder trial, however being that it has the possibility of being a death penalty trial it could be years before it begins and I don't plan on being here that long! That would rule me out. As I drove the one route Martin may well have drive to Amanda's house that day, I got a very eerie feeling.  When I stopped in front of the house it made me very sad to know what happened there.  I don't know if this "Dead End" sticker was up on a traffic sign on Nob Hill Court before the murders or if it's just a tasteless joke but it caught my attention.