Each day, his mom held on to faith

ANN GIVENS

October 18, 2006

Margot Aponte sat with her head bowed as the jury announced that her son was guilty of murder.

She had said throughout the trial that she had faith he would not be convicted of the top charge, and now her faith had let her down.

But just as Martin Heidgen, 25, of Valley Stream, was led away in handcuffs to what could be up to a lifetime in prison, he craned his neck around to look at his mother. In what may be the lowest moment of his life, he gave her a broad grin, and a wink.

Then Aponte, 54, who teaches Spanish at Farmingdale High School, was led out of the courthouse, surrounded by court officers.

"God have mercy on everyone," she said. "My son is not a murderer. Everyone knows that."

In interviews before the trial, and on the stand in her son's defense, Aponte said her son was a positive, happy person, far from indifferent to the lives of others. During jury selection she nervously searched the courtroom walls for any plaque that said "In God We Trust," as a sign that her son would get a fair trial.

There was one, on the wall behind the judge's bench.

"If I could give my life to bring back the people who died I would," Aponte said before the trial. "But this is not the case."