Jury deliberations continue in disposition of teen who admitted killing her newborn
FORT WORTH - A jury asked for another day to deliberate the disposition for a 17-year-old girl who has admitted to killing her daughter, moments after she was born two years ago.
In closings arguments Thursday in Fort Worth, prosecutors asked the jury to give the girl a 40-year term in juvenile detention, with a possible transfer later to prison. Her defense attorneys asked them to consider a lesser term, including the possibility of probation.
The girl's father testified as her final defense witness, saying his daughter had already suffered for her decision in 2021, and would continue to for the rest of her life, asking that she be placed on probation at home and continue to receive social services.
He also expressed anger with the Fort Worth Police detective who took more than two years to investigate the case, before arresting the teen in November of 2023.
Both sides showed Snapchat messages again during closing arguments between the girl and the baby's father, Alexis Martinez, where they spent seven months talking about what to do about the pregnancy. Martinez is not charged in the case.