Baltimore, Maryland – A jury found Tamekia Martin guilty of manslaughter and child abuse resulting in the death of her 3-year old son, Damaud Martin.
Special Victims Unit Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Marts prosecuted this case.
In 2008, three-year-old Damaud Martin sat on the top bunk of a bunk bed when his mother Tamekia Marin slapped the child causing him to fall off the bed and strike his head on a nearby TV stand. From all accounts, the boy was sitting on the bed, playing with other children when his mother, who had been on the phone in another room, suddenly entered the room, slapped the child and exited the room. The children on the bed with the victim reported to police that Damaud cried and collapsed to the ground shortly following the attack.
Damaud underwent emergency surgery but never fully recovered from his injuries. He developed cerebral palsy and was placed in a monitored group home. In 2014, caregivers at the group home found Damaud unresponsive in his bed. The paramedics were called, but he died shortly after. The Medical Examiner ruled Damaud’s death a homicide as a result of the previous traumatic brain injuries the victim suffered in 2008.
Throughout the investigation, the defendant consistently denied fault, maintaining her innocence by telling detectives multiple stories about how her son was injured. However, a staff member from the facility where the child lived told detectives that they had once overheard Ms. Martin whisper to her son, “I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
“As a mother, this case is especially heartbreaking, and I can’t fathom how a parent could inflict such harm on their child,” said State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. “Any mother who callously harms their child and turns their back on them as they cry out for help is a person who deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and removed from society.”
Martin’s sentencing is scheduled for May 16, 2019. She faces 40 years for her crimes.
