Family of Vanessa Hart's mother wants death penalty for father, girlfriend

SALT LAKE CITY — The last time Stephanie Alfaro saw her little girl, the 4-year-old was undergoing surgery in a futile attempt to save her life.

That hospital visit was also the first time Alfaro had seen her daughter in 1½ years, said Stephanie Medina, Vanessa's step-grandmother.

Little Vanessa Hart later died from massive head injuries that police say were caused by her father's girlfriend.

Alfaro had agreed to let the girl's father, Clinton Hart, 21, take Vanessa and her younger brother, Anthony, for a weekend, according to Medina. But the woman didn't see her daughter again until 18 months later when she got word Vanessa was clinging to life.

Clinton Hart rarely responded to Alfaro's text messages and phone calls, Medina said. "She'd try to go where he was living a year and a half ago and he'd just up and moved," Medina said. Occasionally, Hart would tell the woman he'd bring the children back, but he never did.

Hart and his girlfriend, Marina Navarro, 21, are both now facing charges in connection with Vanessa's death. Navarro is charged with aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; and three counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony. Hart is charged with murder, a first-degree felony; or an alternative charge of child abuse homicide, a second-degree felony; and two counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Alfaro wasn't at Wednesday's court hearing in 3rd District Court because Medina said she was too "emotional" to be there. Medina sat outside the hearing with the girl's aunts, who were holding pictures of Vanessa and a poster calling for "Justice for Vanessa Hart."

"We're doing OK so far," Medina said. "We're just trying to understand why. How could they do this? We've got questions, and we want answers. It's just really difficult. We want justice for what was done."

Medina has a clear idea of what justice would mean for Vanessa, whom she called a "happy little child who loved to play."

"I believe in eye for an eye, just like the Sloops," she said. "We want justice for her life like they did for little Ethan. … Give them the death penalty."

The case has some similarities to that of Nathan and Stephanie Sloop, who face aggravated murder charges in the death of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy. Prosecutors have not expressly stated their intent to pursue the death penalty in that case but have indicated it is a strong possibility.