Jackson, CA…At the outset, let it be clear that the focus of all the energies of the law enforcement community and Amador County citizens should be on obtaining justice for Victoria Marquina and her family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as they deal with unspeakable grief and loss. But it is also important that the Marquina family and the public know the truth about the Amador County District Attorney Office’s efforts to seek justice for Victoria so that they can have confidence that we did everything we could do to build a case whereby the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office would file charges against the man responsible for her death. Unfortunately, you can’t find that truth in the media accounts of this story, hence the necessity for this attempt to set the record straight.
In June of this year, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office brought Joshua Martinez from Mexico to Amador County and our office charged him with felony sex-related charges, including statutory rape. The victim of the sex-related charges was Victoria. Martinez was the lead suspect in the disappearance of Victoria. While Martinez was in custody on the Amador case, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office was working diligently to find out what happened to Victoria. These efforts, in addition to those of an Amador County District Attorney Investigator, developed evidence that Victoria was allegedly murdered by Martinez, likely in San Joaquin County. There was no evidence that any part of the alleged homicide occurred in Amador County, thus our office had no jurisdiction to charge Martinez. If there was evidence that any part of the homicide occurred in Amador County our office believed that would be enough to charge Martinez with murder even though Victoria’s body has not been found. The San Joaquin District Attorney’s Office respectfully disagreed with our assessment, insisting on more evidence that Victoria was dead before they would file charges.
Meanwhile, new evidence was discovered on the sex-related charges Martinez was facing in Amador County that now made it impossible to convince a unanimous jury of his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt under any theory of criminal liability. Ethically and professionally, we had no choice but to dismiss the charges against Martinez at his next scheduled hearing. Prior to that hearing, I and members of my staff met with representatives from the Amador Sheriff’s Office and discussed what could be done to uncover evidence that would convince the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office to file charges against Martinez. It was decided that since San Joaquin didn’t want Martinez interviewed on the suspected murder while he was still in custody facing the sex-related charges, we would dismiss the Amador case at the next scheduled court hearing, release him from the jail, immediately arrest him on a Ramey warrant for the murder of Victoria, and interview him within 72 hours pending a decision from San Joaquin as to whether they would file charges. It was an Amador County District Attorney Investigator who wrote the Ramey warrant. The Ramey warrant was not written to get around the Amador County District Attorney’s Office, as was stated on regional television stations and in the local media, but to take a necessary effort to try to develop sufficient evidence to convince San Joaquin County to charge Martinez. Martinez invoked his right to remain silent and the effort failed. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute Martinez due to insufficient evidence of her death and Martinez was released.
I want Victoria’s family and the Amador community to know that we will continue to do everything within our power to bring justice for Victoria and hold accountable those who killed her. Victoria deserves nothing less.
If anyone has information relevant towards this case, they should contact the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Victoria’s friends and family have set up a gofundme page to raise money for a reward for information leading to discovery of Victoria’s body. You can contribute by accessing the link at:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/28c2ssbg80…
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