Home Life Style Nevada father throws 7-week-old daughter off balcony during explosive ‘trap’ fight

Nevada father throws 7-week-old daughter off balcony during explosive ‘trap’ fight

0 comments
Baby London was murdered

A Nevada judge sentenced Clarence Martin Jr., 37, to life in prison for the gruesome 2020 murder of his two-month-old daughter, London. Martin threw the baby off a second-story balcony, set fire to his apartment and killed his fiancée’s dog in a nightmarish sequence of events.

District Judge Carli Kierny handed down the life sentence, allowing parole only after 49 and a half years. Martin’s defense argued that he was suffering a mental health crisis at the time, but the prosecution emphasized the irreversible damage caused by his actions.

Tragedy unfolded in October 2020, when Martin’s fiancée, Nicole, called 911 at 3:40 a.m., reporting that she had thrown her baby from the second-floor balcony. According to the arrest reportNicole said Martin took the baby and returned moments later without her. Nicole ran down the stairs and found London on the floor, unresponsive. Despite a neighbor’s attempts to perform CPR, the baby was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Witnesses described seeing Martin leave the apartment, yelling, “Burn, (expletive), burn. This is what you get for cheating on me.” Inside, he had set fire to the living room. Firefighters found Nicole’s dog dead in a cage, likely from exposure to smoke and heat. The fire forced the evacuation of seven nearby apartments, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

London Martin. Photo: GoFundMe

Martin fled the scene, damaging two vehicles before being detained at the airport. There, he crawled into a secure area across a luggage conveyor belt, donned the shirt and security vest of a TSA officer, and was eventually stopped near the asphalt. Authorities reported hearing him shout, “Burn, (expletive). Jefferys Street, Jefferys Street.”

Nicole revealed that Martin, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, had displayed erratic behavior in the three days before the murder. She recounted waking up to Martin kicking her and the baby before he snatched her daughter during their attempt to escape, according to Fox.

Martin was convicted in October 2023 on 13 counts, including first-degree arson, child abuse resulting in substantial bodily harm, and multiple counts of assault and attempted murder. Deputy Assistant District Attorney Parker Brooks acknowledged Martin’s mental health struggles but urged the court to focus on the victims.

Judge Kierny expressed his horror, saying: “This is the worst case I have ever seen. It crosses my mind.” Martin’s life sentence underlines the devastating consequences of his actions and the lasting impact on those affected.


You may also like