Murder suspect admits drug charge

One of the women charged in the rape and killing of 10-year-old Victoria Martens pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to a drug charge in an unrelated case.

A prosecutor said the state plans to seek habitual offender enhancements that would make Jessica Kelley eligible for up to seven years of incarceration.

Kelley, 32, pleaded guilty in state District Court before Judge Benjamin Chavez to the only count she faced in the case: distribution of a controlled substance. She admitted that a parole officer searched her purse in September 2015 and found suboxone.

Kelley wore an orange jumpsuit and a medical boot to the hearing. According to police, she jumped from a second story balcony in an attempt to evade officers on the night Martens’ body was discovered. Kelley, her cousin, Fabian Gonzales, and the child’s mother, Michelle Martens, are all facing charges including first-degree murder, rape and tampering with evidence.

Prosecutor Jacob Payne said the state will likely try to prove that Kelley had at least two prior convictions. Those enhancements would allow the court to impose additional time on the conviction that would normally carry only a three-year sentence. Kelley’s defense attorney, Mark Earnest, said he did not believe that Kelley would be eligible for the extra time.

Her sentencing hearing will be set in 60 days.