“He Got More Bruises” Text Messages Reveal Alleged Abuse Before 5-Year-Old’s Death
July 24, 2026
- The Case of Undisclosed Victim, 5
- Suspects Katrina Marie Sudberry and Gregory Glenn Martin
Newport News, VA — A 5-year-old boy is dead after investigators say he suffered fatal injuries from repeated physical abuse, leading to murder charges against his mother and her boyfriend.
Around 2:18 p.m. on July 16, 2026, emergency crews responded to a home on Walden Pond Court after receiving an alert reporting a medical emergency involving the child. When officers arrived, they found Katrina Marie Sudberry, 27, screaming and crying inside a bedroom while her son lay unresponsive on the floor. Court documents state the child had bruising covering his face and body.
Sudberry told investigators that her son had been lethargic and had vomited earlier that morning. She said she later found him unresponsive in his bedroom and called her mother before dialing 911.
The boy was airlifted to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the child died from internal injuries caused by blunt force trauma. Examiners documented abrasions to his face along with multiple lacerations to his internal organs. The findings prompted police to investigate the death as a homicide.
During an interview with detectives, Sudberry admitted she disciplined her son through physical punishment. According to court documents, she said she struck him with her hands and a belt and forced him to perform exercises such as push-ups and wall squats. She acknowledged using a belt to discipline him two days before his death.
Police arrested Sudberry on July 18, charging her with:
- Second-degree murder
- Felony child abuse
Investigators initially believed Sudberry had been the child’s sole caregiver. However, newly released court records paint a different picture.
According to text messages recovered by investigators, Sudberry’s boyfriend, Gregory Glenn Martin, 30, allegedly participated in the abuse. Martin is also the father of Sudberry’s unborn child.
In one exchange cited in court documents, Sudberry texted Martin:
“He got more bruises we tryna get rid of the other ones.”
Martin allegedly replied:
“we needa make an agreement either u gone let me whoop him or not.”
Investigators believe the messages support evidence that Martin beat the child with a belt before his death.
One week after the boy died, police arrested Martin and charged him with:
- Second-degree murder
- Child abuse or neglect causing serious injury
- Failing to register or intentionally providing false information on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry.
According to investigators, Martin is not the child’s biological father.
Court records also show Martin is classified as a Tier III registered sex offender. In 2018, he was convicted of carnal knowledge of a child between the ages of 13 and 14 without force under Virginia Code § 18.2-63(A).
Both Sudberry and Martin remain charged in connection with the death of the 5-year-old as the homicide investigation continues.
