Texas fire investigator helps find truth behind 4-year-old's murder
PERRYTON, Texas - A state fire marshal's office sergeant is being recognized for his instrumental hand in exposing the truth behind a 4-year-old girl's murder in the Texas Panhandle.
The investigator's work helped to convict a man found near the victim, who the Texas Department of Insurance says had started a house fire in an attempt to hide his crime.
Panhandle murder investigation
The 2022 incident began when the body of the victim, Hope Raley, was found on a bed in the master bedroom of a blazing home. It happened in Perryton, about three hours north of Lubbock, where State Fire Marshal's Office Sgt. Kelly Vandygriff traveled from to assist in the following investigation.
What they're saying:
"Any time there’s a loss of life, we make it a priority to be on the scene as quickly as possible," Vandygriff said. "We’re there to carefully process the scene, follow the evidence, and help bring clarity to what happened."
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After Perryton officials put out the fire and found Raley's body, the TDI release says Humberto Martinez, an occupant of the burning home, was found in a crawlspace beneath the building. Martinez was found to have been the last person Raley was seen with before her death.
An autopsy of Raley's body, which Vandygriff witnessed, determined that she had been strangled to death before the fire started. Further investigation, led by Vandygriff, found a lighter and combustibles near the mattress where Raley's body was found. This led to Martinez's connection to the start of the fire.
Confession and sentence
After he was released from the hospital for smoke inhalation treatment, TDI said Martinez confessed to a Texas Ranger that he had strangled Raley.
On March 4, 2026, Martinez pleaded guilty to capital murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Department of Insurance.