Vigil will mark anniversary of five slayings

It’s been one year since the murder of a beloved Modesto doctor, her two daughters and her boyfriend’s mother and niece in an east Modesto home.

The bodies of Dr. Amanda Crews, 38; her daughters, 6-month-old Rachael and 6-year-old Elizabeth; Anna Brown Romero, 57; and 5-year-old Esmeralda Navarro were found inside Crews’ home on Nob Hill Court on July 18, 2015.

Since then, her boyfriend, Martin Martinez, has been charged in their deaths as well as the death of Crews’ 2-year-old son Christopher in 2014.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Martinez. He is being held at the Stanislaus County Jail and is expected back in court next month.

Recently, Crews’ identical twin sister, Kimberly Crews, collaborated with a local writer, Ruth McLeod-Kearns, on an essay in memory of her sister.

Kimberly Crews discusses the vivid dreams she has had of her sister, people’s shocked expressions when they mistake her for Amanda and, in addition to the devastation and loss, the fear she experiences.

“This has changed the way I look at the world,” she is quoted in the essay. “It has made me a more fearful person. I used to think that I could handle something dangerous if it came my way. I’m sure she (Amanda) did, too.”

“She will honor them silently on the 18th and think of the influence their absence has had on her life,” McLeod-Kearns writes.

A candlelight vigil is planned for Monday night in memory of the victims. It will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at Standiford Park, next to Elizabeth’s elementary school, at 510 Tokay Ave.

This story was originally published July 17, 2016 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Vigil will mark anniversary of five slayings."