SPRING, TX – A Texas woman has been charged with capital murder after allegedly drowning her four-year-old relative in a bathtub under the pretense of a religious rite. The incident was reported in December 2024, more than a year after the girl’s death in September 2023.

Nakia Martin, 39, was taking care of the children of her cousin, who was away in Indiana, when the tragic event unfolded, according to court documents. Authorities say Martin called for help after finding the young girl lifeless, her body “cold to the touch.”

On that fateful morning, Martin contacted a family member as well as emergency services when the child appeared unresponsive. Responding officers found the girl deceased in a bedroom next to a bathroom where water surrounded a “large, dirty Jacuzzi tub.”

During questioning, Martin told officers that she had bathed the child and applied lotion the previous night, narratives that were later contradicted by the other children she was supervising, ages six and eight. Despite Martin’s initial claims of not recalling any drowning incident, she allegedly admitted to being in the tub with all the children and “didn’t mean to kill this baby,” lamenting, “I killed a kid.”

The other children painted a harrowing picture when interviewed. They referred to a mysterious event involving the “Devil” and mentioned that the lotion used was supposedly “blessing oil.” On even further questioning, the surviving daughter explained that Martin tried to submerge them under the guise of baptism, later revealing that she witnessed her sister being forcibly held underwater.

Their mother, keeping in touch from Indiana, noted Martin’s peculiar behavior and fixation on religious themes, which deeply troubled her. On a FaceTime call made the day before the incident, she saw her children together in the tub, unaware of the danger that would ensue.

In a follow-up interview, the surviving daughter alleged that Martin held her sister under the water, resulting in bleeding, and warned her siblings against revealing the ordeal, threatening them with punishment from “Hell.” Her brother’s account corroborated these details, describing how their sister struggled to breathe and even tried pulling Martin’s hair to escape, only to be restrained again.

The issuance of charges against Martin took time as investigators carried out additional interviews and awaited an autopsy report. Once the details were compiled and charges issued, Martin was arrested and extradited to Harris County in Texas in December 2024.

Her court proceedings are slated to commence on March 20. In the meantime, Harris County authorities are continuing their comprehensive review of the tragic circumstances surrounding the child’s death. Authorities are calling for sensitivity regarding the family’s privacy as they navigate this traumatic chapter.