Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today applauded the decision by the Rhode Island Supreme Court affirming the Superior Court judgment in the conviction of Gerardo Martinez who ruthlessly murdered Lindsay Ann Burke in August 2005. In the decision, the Supreme Court denied Martinez' appeal of his murder conviction and affirmed the sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
"This decision sends a strong message that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our society," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "In trying to escape the abuse, Lindsay did all the right things; moved away from her abuser, sought the counsel of friends and family. But, she could not escape the violence of Gerardo Martinez, a man who claimed he loved her. His actions leading up to the murder were not about love; they were the actions of weak man who used violence and manipulation to control Lindsay.
"If anything positive can come from such a horrific act, it is that our eyes were opened to the issue of dating violence and we have taken steps to address it. I am humbled by the strength and courage of Lindsay's family, whose efforts paved the way for the passage of the Lindsay Ann Burke Act and how we identify and prevent dating violence. I am saddened, however, that it took the death of a vibrant, young woman for us to confront this societal issue."