The family of slain D.C. woman, Wendy Martinez, has spoken out about how they are coping with her untimely death. Martinez was stabbed several times by a random attacker while she jogged through a suburb of Washington D.C. Tuesday evening.
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Heartbreakingly, in her final days, Martinez had been trying on wedding dresses as she prepared to marry her fiance, Daniel Hincapi. Despite rushing into a nearby Chinese restaurant and pleading for help, Martinez died at the hospital a short time later.
“We were planning a wedding, and now we have to plan a funeral,” one unidentified family member told WPTV.
“She was very excited when she found out she was going to be engaged,” her mother, Cora, said in the press conference Thursday. “As soon she had the engagement ring she let me know. She was like ‘Mom I got it!”
“Wendy lived the happiest seven days of her life. I never figured that when I saw my daughter in that dress, that… she was buying it for her funeral.”
Astonishingly, despite the brutal nature of her daughter’s killing, and with so much to look forward to in her life, Wendy’s mom said that she’d chosen to forgive the killer. “My heart has no room for hate,” she explained, “I am asking my family to do the same. Let it go. We believe in the greatest judge, the ultimate person that will give what is deserved.”
Cora added that he daughter was “at peace,” as reported by the Daily Mail.
“She is happy and we want to follow that example.”
Earlier this week, authorities managed to capture a grainy image of the man they believe to be the 35-year-old’s killer, and have offered a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Police later announced the arrest of Anthony Crawford, 23, who has been charged.
Martinez was out jogging in the Logan Circle neighborhood when she was attacked in an unprovoked attack. In heartbreaking CCTV footage, the woman was captured staggering into a local Chinese restaurant, gushing blood from a severe wound in her neck. Those inside immediately tried to summon help, but her blood loss was too great. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The restaurant’s manager told NBC Washington, “I was scared. I don’t know what happened, and I just try to call the police.”
As for the family, this final desperate act of defiance and her instinct to survive brings them some level of comfort.
“My daughter was a fighter,” Cora said. “She was a warrior. She fought up to the last seconds for her life. She got up and she ran into this restaurant and asked for help. That makes us so proud.”
D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said that they believe the attack to be a “random act.”
“It is more likely a random act than anything else but we’re going to look at all possibilities,” he noted.
At the press conference, Wendy’s soon-to-be husband also expressed his utmost grief at her passing.
“I was so excited. I was the happiest man in the world, engaged with the love of my life. Finding dates, venues, thinking about logistics…” he said. “And suddenly she’s gone. It’s a real tragedy.”
Martinez worked for tech management company, FiscalNote. The organization released a statement in the wake of their employee’s death, noting that she was an “invaluable member” of the team.
“The entire FiscalNote family is shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Wendy Martinez, our Chief of Staff, was killed last night. Wendy was an invaluable member of our team and a vibrant member of the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy’s family and friends.”
In a 2016 Facebook post, Wendy noted her view on living a good and happy life: “Happiness is the spiritual experience of living life with love, grace, and gratitude,” she wrote.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Wendy’s family cover her funeral expesnses. “Remembering her beautiful energy and sending all my love to her family and friends,” one person commented on the page. “Wendy was an amazing child of God and a great friend!” another added. “Blessings to all your family, your fiancé and all the people that loved you Wendy! You will always be a light and an inspiration. Love you friend!”
Do pray for all of Wendy’s loved ones at this difficult time