This Sunday, as many across the country celebrate Mother’s Day, one local family will spend it remembering the child they lost 36 years ago on May 10th, 1990. For them, the grief has never faded, and the search for justice has never stopped.
“Jessica is loved, we have not forgotten her. I have gone on with my life by the grace of God,” Nellie Mesa, Jessica’s mother, said.
It’s a case that has stayed with Bakersfield for nearly four decades. On May 10th, 1990, 4-year-old Jessica Martinez was abducted while playing outside her apartment. 11 days later, her body was found in a cotton field. Now in 2026, her family is still searching for answers…