A parolee from Oakland was charged today with two counts of murder and special circumstances for allegedly killing his girlfriend and her 17-month-old son and dumping them along the Berkeley shoreline.
Authorities, confirming for the first time that the body of a child found in the bay Sunday was that of Zoelina Williams’ son, theorize that Curtis Martin III murdered the boy first. Then he killed Williams to keep her from revealing what he had done, police believe.
Martin, 38, who was convicted of beating a 3-year-old boy to death in 1994, made a brief appearance this afternoon in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland. He did not speak as Judge Robert McGuiness read the criminal complaint aloud.
Relatives of the victims wept as McGuiness told Martin that besides being accused of murdering his girlfriend Williams, 23, of Oakland, he was charged with murdering her son, Jashon. Martin is also accused of enhancements for using a weapon and causing great bodily injury.
In addition, Martin was charged with two special circumstances, one alleging that he committed multiple murders and the other that he murdered Zoelina Williams because she was a “witness to a crime.” Sources close to the investigation say police believe Martin killed Williams because she knew he had killed her son.
Martin did not enter a plea and was ordered to return to court Thursday. If convicted of murder and either of the special circumstances, Martin could face the death penalty. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek lethal injection.
Martin is accused of fatally beating Zoelina Williams before dragging her body from his van to the shoreline at Berkeley’s Aquatic Park early Friday. While wearing rubber gloves and protective booties over his shoes, Martin was surprised by Berkeley police Officer Darren Kacalek, according to sources and court documents.
Martin explained that “he had just been kicked out of the Berkeley Marina,” on the other side of Interstate 80, authorities said in a court affidavit. Jashon’s body was later found floating near the marina.
Kacalek checked Martin’s identification, warned him the park was closed and sent him on his way, police said. But as Martin drove away in his van, the tires ran over what the officer thought was a stick. It turned out to be a rifle, and Kacalek then saw drag marks that led from the van to Williams’ body, sources said.
Martin was arrested later Friday and is being held without bail. An autopsy concluded that Williams had died of blunt force trauma to the head and had also been shot in the stomach and the back of the head.
Kayakers found Jashon’s body near the marina Sunday morning. The Alameda County coroner conducted an autopsy today but has not determined the cause of death.
Martin was convicted of manslaughter in 1994 for fatally beating 3-year-old Devin Brewer, the son of his then-girlfriend. Relatives of Devin joined members of Williams’ family today in court. -jenn
Tags: 17-month old son, Berkeley, Berkeley death, Chris Martin III, death penalty, murder, SF GATE, Zoelina Williams