Life with parole given in death of child

Kim Smith

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002 | 9:23 a.m.

When District Judge Joseph Bonaventure asked convicted child killer Martha Flores what she had to say for herself, she simply proclaimed her innocence.

It was only after her husband spoke that the 27-year-old woman interrupted the judge and went into a 20-minute tirade about the injustice done to her.

"I'm not a killer. I'm not a killer," Flores sobbed as a Spanish-speaking interpreter translated her words. "I did not kill that child. I am innocent."

Just as her attorney did during her trial last month, Flores said her husband, Roberto Flores, beat 5-year-old Zoraida Flores to death in January 2001.

Flores said Roberto Flores beat her and killed Zoraida, her stepdaughter. She said she didn't report his abuse because he threatened to tell authorities she was a prostitute and she feared losing her children.

A clearly unmoved Bonaventure sentenced Flores to life in prison with parole possible after 20 years in prison. He could have given her a no-parole life sentence, but noted her lack of criminal history.

Bonaventure said it was clear from her outburst that she is the volatile, angry person prosecutors made her out to be during her trial.

The judge compared her to other female murderers convicted recently in his courtroom.

"I had Sandy Murphy. I had Margaret Rudin. You're the worst of the lot," Bonaventure said. "They had motive. They had their greed. What did you have?"

Prosecutors told jurors that Zoraida Flores died within an hour of sustaining head injuries and Martha Flores was the only adult in their home in that time period.

Martha Flores' 5-year-old daughter, Sylvia, told police her mother struck Zoraida in the head after the girl urinated on herself and refused to take a shower.