Affidavit reveals new information after Overland Park infant found deceased
Parents charged with murder
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A newly released affidavit has revealed new information about the death of an infant in Overland Park that led to first-degree murder and abuse charges for both parents.
A redacted affidavit from the District Court of Johnson County, Kan., indicates that just after 11 a.m. on May 22, 2023, the Overland Park Police Department was called to an apartment in the city with reports of an infant who was not breathing.
When police arrived, they said they found medical staff already in the living room in the midst of an attempt to save the life of W.J.A.M. who celebrated her 1 first birthday three days prior. The parents, Alexis S. Williams, 30, and Kevin Martenia, 31, were crying and distressed in the living room.
Despite the attempts of first responders, the infant was pronounced deceased just after 11:10 a.m. The child who had been deceased for about 11 hours, had been in cardiac arrest for quite some time.
Officers reported that they had signs of bruising on the deceased child’s face, facial injuries and protruding ribs. She was later found to be underdeveloped for her age and malnourished with “little fat or no fat on her body.”
The affidavit noted that Martenia had put the baby to bed the night before as Williams worked the night shift. He reported everything had been fine at the time. Two other children were also found inside a room with three toddler beds.
Martenia told officers he had woken up to provide the infant with milk and went back to bed. However, the next time he checked on her, she was unresponsive and not breathing. He said he did not know why or how she could have died as she had no known medical issues.
The father told officers it appeared that the infant had crawled under something and that is when the marks and injuries appeared on her body. She was found not breathing when Williams, the mother, immediately began R.
Martenia told officers he did not put the infant to sleep in the bed she was found in and blamed himself for the incident. He said he deserved any punishment headed his way.
An autopsy revealed that the infant had died from a telescoping intestine that caused a bowel obstruction which can be fatal if medical attention is not sought. The facial injury and bruising were also found to be the result of lying in one spot after death for a period of time.
However, scans and x-rays found that the infant had a healed fracture in her right arm and a skull that did not fuse correctly due to malnutrition and dehydration. Doctors concluded this had come from neglect and ruled her death a homicide.
The affidavit revealed that when detectives spoke with the other two children in the household they said their parents had spoken to them and told them they would be taken away if they said something “bad.” The children also told officers they had been “whooped” with ropes, chargers and a curtain rod that left scarring. The curtain rod was decommissioned after it broke when Williams “smacked” one of the children too hard with it.
The children also told officers Martenia had intentionally put the infant under a pillow and two teddy bears the last night she fell asleep. The infant was heard screaming and crying in the middle of the night, however, the father never checked on her. The other children later were also found to have signs of physical abuse.
The pair were charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and aggravated endangerment of a child earlier in April. Martenia had previously been convicted of aggravated robbery, robbery and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. He spent 2 years and 10 months in prison, as well as there years on probation, for the crime.
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