This story is very graphic, and includes child abuse, sexual abuse, rape all pertaining to a infant. Read at your own discretion, this may trigger anxiety in those who have survived abuse, sexual abuse, or anything of that nature. So sorry that it’s so graphic, I am using terms the police, prosecutors, judge, and doctors have used during this case.
Thank you,
KeeshasaSleuthing
Baby Brianna Lopez was a beautiful baby girl born on Valentines Day February 14, 2002 in Doa Ana, New Mexico to monsters not parents, because parents do not do this or allow this to happen to children especially their own. She was an infant that was physically and sexually abused by the very people who were supposed to protect her from such horrors in life, not be the perpetrators, but they were one in the same. NO ONE and I mean NO ONE tried to help this beautiful baby girl, not even her Grandparents or Uncles. There were six people staying in the house that baby Brianna lived and died in. There was Brianna 5 1/2 months old, her mother Stephanie Lopez
19, her father Andy Walters
21, her mother’s twin brother her Uncle Steven
19, her fathers 18 month old son/Brianna’s big brother
(no name given to protect child’s identity), her 8 year old uncle
(no name given to protect child’s identity).
Brianna’s abuse started the day she came him early from the hospital. She went through hell in her very very short life. Her mother would bite her because she’s cried. Her father Andy and Uncle Steven would beat her, throw her around, and yes even sexually abuse this beautiful, innocent, defenseless baby girl Brianna over and over again, from what I read almost daily and when the abuse was happening it would happen almost all day or intermittently throughout the day, weeks, and months of her short life. Her Paternal Grandmother Patricia Walters and Paternal Uncle Robert Walters knew what was going on and turned a blind eye, even hid what was happening in that house of hell. They didn’t say anything to anyone, it was like they had no feelings or sympathy or empathy for their own flesh and blood. On the day of July 18 the abuse continued and maybe even ramped up.
Andy’s (Brianna’s Father) accounts for the evening of July 18 and morning of July 19,2002 and timeline of events based on court documents:
At 6pm Andy the father went and bought a case of beer and headed home. Her father Andy, her mother Stephanie 19 and her uncle her mothers twin Steven all were drinking throughout the evening.Stephanie went to bed after three beers leaving Andy and Steven up with Brianna. Andy and Steven said they were just playing with Brianna, by throwing her into the air over and over, Brianna hit her head on the ceiling 3 times and hit the floor 2 times. Andy said Brianna was still conscious and crying.
Around 12:30am July 19, 2002 Andy says he fell asleep not knowing where Brianna was.
At around 3am Andy woke to find Brianna laying on the floor near the couch. He wrapped her in a blanket, put her to sleep, and put her in a bouncer.
7am Brianna needed a diaper change. Stephanie asked about the bruises on Brianna. Andy says he and Steven “played at little rough with her”. Andy then changed her diaper, and took a wipe wrapped it around his index finger and inserted it in Brianna’s anus.
By 10am July 19, 2002 Stephanie checks on her daughter and notices that she is not breathing, she calls 9-1-1. Tells 9-1-1 dispatcher that Brianna had stopped breathing.
Andy and Stephanie administered CPR until the Paramedics arrived on scene and transported Brianna to the hospital. When she arrived at the Emergency Room/Department she had bruises and bite marks on a lot of her body, and head. She appeared to be lifeless. After many unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate her she was pronounced dead.
At 11:10am Friday July 19, 2002 Brianna Lopez is pronounced dead at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Andy and Stephanie tried to claim to the medical staff that the injuries were caused by Brianna falling out of bed.
*Andy also admitted that he has bitten Brianna on
several occasions, and that he isn’t the only family member to have done so. He said he did bite Brianna but he
“did not take a chunk out of her”
*Andy says his 18 month old son has bitten Brianna .
*Andy says Stephanie’s has bitten Brianna when she gets frustrated.
* Andy also said that Stephanie pinches and throws Brianna when she gets frustrated.
What the Uncle Steven Lopez says or admits to:
Steven says he had about 10 beer s out of the case that Andy bought.
He admitted to throwing Brianna in the air and into the ceiling and not catching her.
He admitted to
“having sex” with Brianna that night.
(She is/was 5 months old)
He adds that he and Andy have penetrated Brianna on
SEVERAL different occasions.
(So this was happening before Brianna was 5 months old!!!)
Stephanie Lopez’ accounts:
She said she had drank about 3 beers then fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning she found Brianna on the floor and was unable to wake her.
She asked what happened to Brianna, and where the bruises came from. Andy told her
“we played a little rough with her last night”.
She noticed Brianna wasn’t breathing after finding her and called 911.
Summary of Brianna’s Autopsy report:
She was pronounced dead at Memorial Medical Center after she was rushed there when attempts to resuscitate and revive her failed Doa Ana County Sheriffs Sgt. Ed Miranda said.
The autopsy revealed a long list of new and old injuries. The injuries appeared to be inflicted over an extended period of time, in her short life. The 5 month old baby girl had many injuries which included 15 human bites in total all in various stages of healing, multiple bruises, fractures to two right ribs, three skull fractures, swelling to the brain, signs of shaken baby syndrome, fractures to both legs.
The fractures on both both of her legs are commonly caused by someone picking up the child with a quick, jerking motion by the legs. She also had bleeding of the optic nerve. She had new and old skull fractures, also in various stages of healing. She had lacerations on her fingers and her big toe on her right foot. She had new and old bleeding on her brain.
The autopsy revealed she died from a cranial cerebral injuries. She has bruising and scraping injuries throughout her head, as well as on her upper forehead. There were
extensive injuries to her head and
fatal injuries to her brain. She had bleeding within the membranes around the brain as well as around the nerves of her eyes. It was found that she had skull fractures in two different places, on two different bones, it was found that these fractures were 5-7 days old. The examination of the membranes surrounding the brain showed the presence of both old and new blood, indicating she had received a separate brain injury/injuries in the past. Her optical nerves were filled with both old and new blood which indicated that she’s had been violently shaken on at least two separate occasions. She had suffered two rib fractures on the right side of her chest several weeks before her death. She had bucket handle fractures on both her right and left thigh bones, as well as a fracture through the top of her left arm. These injuries were from the limbs being pulled, twisted and/or yanked. Her anus and vagina had multiple injuries. She had significant abrasions on her buttocks, which went into the buttocks, and was consistent with sexual assault. The attending emergency room nurse observed that her anus gaped open with no muscle tone. Autopsy revealed that her anus was dilated to a full inch, and the internal examination showed a half inch to an inch injury inside the anal opening as well a vaginal injuries inside her labia minora, including three small tears to her hymen. Evidence showed Brianna’s blood
Her death is ruled a homicide.
Dental impressions were obtained from all 3 suspects/defendants to determine which bite mark and who the bite marks belong to.
The forensic pathologist who testified at the trial (State v. Lopez) stated that these injuries weren’t and couldn’t be the results of falling out of a bed.
What the police and prosecutors had to say:
Detective Lindell Wright:
Was the first police officer on scene. He took this picture of Baby Brianna at the Medical Examiners office
he removed the bruises to make her look like she was sleeping. He said now she looks like a sleeping angel. He also said it is one of the worse, if not the worse child abuse cases he’s ever seen or heard of.
Sgt. Ed Miranda:
“There were definite signs of neglect and failure to protect” talking about the parents, the uncles and the paternal grandmother. The parents who abused and neglected the child, the maternal uncle Steven who abused, neglected, Turned a blind eye and didn’t report, the paternal uncle and grandmother who neglected, didn’t protect, also seen some if not most of what was happening and failed to report it and also turned a blind eye.
“When you have parents who are hurting children, you have a lot of emotions”
while law enforcement, medical personnel and teachers are required to report suspected child abuse, it is the community’s duty to do the same.
District Attorney now New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez:
“That’s why I fought for it when I was governor, and I’m fighting for it again, to include all children,” she said. “Children are anyone under 18, not (just) children under the age of 13.”
Convictions &Sentencing:
Stephanie Lopez:27 years, served 13 released 2016
Andy Walters: 57 years, still incarcerated
Steven Lopez: 51 years, still incarcerated
Unfortunately no one claimed baby Brianna remains, so the community did and gave her a beautiful burial and funeral. Then the family all of a sudden wanted say so and out a cage over her grave so no one could put flowers or a headstone that the community was having made for her. The cage has been petitioned but still remains but is opened so people who want to remember her, and to honor her can leave flowers.
There is also a memorial that the community had made for her in her name and is beautiful from what I’ve seen online.
This story/ case really got to me. That baby had not lived to even get to know how to crawl, walk, learn how to play, learn how to share, learn how to make friends, or tie her shoes. She never got to turn 6 months, celebrate her 1st birthday with a smash cake and presents, she Never got to experience her first crush, he first kiss, she never got a chance to figure out who she is or even wonder who she would be or what she would be like, she never got to pick out a prom dress, she never got to wonder who she would marry, how many kids she would have, what kind of parent she would be, or think about if she even wanted children or not, she never got to experience being a brides maid, a bride, drive a canary celebrate her 16th, 18th, 21st birthdays, never got to learn to drive a car. I could go on and on about what she didn’t get to do or experience. She didn’t get to do so many things, But what she does get to be something amazing she gets to be an angel. She is my angel and everyone whose hearts and lives her story/life has touched. I just wanted you all to have her as an angel also and be moved to say something, or do something when you see something horrible doesn’t matter who is doing it report it. You can change someone’s outcome.
Thank you,
KeeshasaSleuthing
*Sources:
THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH
FindLaw's Supreme Court of New Mexico case and opinions.
FindLaw's Supreme Court of New Mexico case and opinions.
from believe09 post message #51
