Baby Brianna would have turned 17 on Valentine’s Day

Baby Brianna Lopez would have turned 17 on Valentine’s Day.

In 2002, the infant was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted to death by family members when she was only several months old. Every year, a large group visits her gravesite at the Doña Ana Cemetery to celebrate her birthday.

The gravesite in the vilage of Dona Ana is maintained by volunteers and people who want to keep her memory alive. The site is about five miles north of Las Cruces.

Brianna’s grave was encased in a steel cage and was locked for years. It now sits open with flowers, stuffed animals and ornaments with prayers. She was six-and-a-half months old when she was killed.

A total of five people were connected to her death. A grandmother and uncle were convicted of failing to report the abuse. Her mother, Stephanie, was convicted and sentenced to 26 years in prison. She was released from prison in 2016. Her father and another uncle remain in prison.

Thursday afternoon, two people very close to the investigation and prosecution of several members of Brianna’s family, visited her grave site. Amy Orland, along with Susana Martinez and Susan Reedel, prosecuted the case. Orlando could only imagine what could have been in Brianna’s future had she lived today.

“It always brings me back to thinking of what she would be doing so to be in high school, driving, making preparing for prom. It just makes you think of the reality of what could have been if these people who birthed her would have just given her up,” said Orlando, a former prosecutor.

Lindell Wright, a retired detective with the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, was an investigator in the case. He wishes her family had given the child up for adoption so a loving family could have raised her.

“I think about Brianna all the time and I know that she would have been a, just in my heart, I know that she would have been a seer, sweet girl. And she would have touched a lot lives,” said Wright. “She has touched a lot of lives in her death. And we have a learning lesson from that and we learned from that hoping it continues. That people are not afraid to report child abuse.”

Former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez was the District Attorney at the time of Brianna’s death. She said her death was completely avoidable and says Brianna could have been an amazing young woman.

“Feb. 14, 17 years ago, a beautiful baby girl was born and the abilities, prospects for her to be a young woman, a professional, a student, to grow and have a family of her own were wiped out in five and a half months with abuse that took place literally almost every day,” said Martinez.

The former governor said people need to take responsibility an report child abuse so this never happens again.

“We need to make sure they all people continue to call because we are responsible for the children around us….even if you’re not related to them. And so I think it’s still happening. We’ve tried to improve the law to make sure that it says every person has to do this,” Martinez said.

“As much as we think about where Baby Brianna would be…maybe she would be high school Brianna right now….we also have to think back about what her memory dies for our community and our state and it brings it back to reminding us to take care of all of our kids and always be the eyes and eRs for our children,” Orlando said.