News
News

Relative: Mother showed demons before stabbing and killing family

Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville , Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville , Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
By Craig Schneider and Christian Boone
July 25, 2017

How could a mother try to kill her entire family?

Days before Isabel Martinez allegedly stabbed and killed virtually her entire family, she was struggling with some demons of her own.

Depressed over the recent death of her father in Mexico, the Loganville mother spiraled into depression, said a family member. That depression was fueled by her intense religious beliefs.

What made the once gentle-natured Martinez change so radically?

Read more about Martinez and her charges at myajc.com.

WATCH:

About the Authors

Craig Schneider

A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.

Follow Christian Boone on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The air traffic control tower is seen on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, while smoke rises from the crash site of UPS flight 2976 near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/AP)

Credit: AP

UPS warns of delivery delays after its plane crash at Louisville hub

The disruption of operations at UPS’ largest hub continues to have some effects, while an investigation and recovery operation continue at the Louisville crash site.

Louisville plane crash response in ‘recovery mode,’ UPS operations disrupted

12 are confirmed dead, believed to include a child, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. They do not expect to find survivors at this point, he said.

The Latest

The air traffic control tower is seen on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, while smoke rises from the crash site of UPS flight 2976 near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/AP)

Credit: AP

UPS warns of delivery delays after its plane crash at Louisville hub

A.M. ATL: Elex redux

Louisville plane crash response in ‘recovery mode,’ UPS operations disrupted

Featured

Travelers walk around the baggage claim in the South Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Atlanta is among the airports where the FAA will reduce flights due to the shutdown, and airports are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Atlanta among airports where FAA will cut flights due to shutdown

The U.S. Department of Transportation will cut flights by 10% across 40 of the nation’s busiest airports on Friday to alleviate pressure on air traffic controllers.

Metro Atlanta’s water smells, tastes weird again. Blame fall and Lake Lanier.

It’s safe to drink, but a seasonal change in Lake Lanier each fall means most of the metro’s water tastes like dirt and mold.

15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend

Our list of 15 family-friendly doings in metro Atlanta for Nov. 7-9 includes Veterans Day events.