Bio

James Edward Martinez was born on June 9, 1974, in Tarrant County, Texas. His adulthood saw him working as a laborer and a welder, but his job history was not particularly stable.

In the early 2000s, Martinez had a brief romantic relationship with a woman named Sandra Walton. During this time, he loaned her money, reportedly around $1,000. After their relationship ended, Martinez began demanding repayment. This demand quickly escalated into harassment. Sandra filed multiple police reports against him, citing threats and stalking behavior. However, she struggled to obtain a protective order because they had never been married, lived together, or had children.

Martinez had no significant criminal record prior to his notorious actions in 2000. He had one prior arrest for possessing prohibited weapons, for which he served 180 days in jail. Despite this, he was able to rent a storage unit, where he later kept a large arsenal of weapons, including illegal firearms and ammunition.

At the time of the crimes for which he is most known, Martinez was described as fixated on Sandra and deeply troubled. His life had taken a negative turn as he faced mental health challenges and an inability to cope with the end of his relationship with her.

Murder Story

On September 21, 2000, James Edward Martinez shot and killed two people in Fort Worth, Texas. He fired 20 to 27 rounds from a Steyr/Aug .223 caliber rifle into a car containing Sandra Walton and her friend, Michael Humphreys. Walton, 29 years old, was returning home after a late-night food run. She was shot at least nine times, while 20-year-old Humphreys was hit eight times. Police found Walton's body in the driver's seat of her car and Humphreys lying nearby.

Martinez had a troubled history with Walton. They had brief romantic involvement during which he loaned her $1,000. After they broke up, Martinez demanded repayment. Walton provided him with a promissory note but reported to friends that Martinez continued to threaten and harass her. She had filed multiple police reports against him.

After the shooting, Martinez contacted a friend named Casey Ashford several times. He asked Ashford to keep a black canvas bag for him. The bag contained the rifle used in the murders, along with other items. Ashford buried the bag on his property but later revealed its location to law enforcement, leading to the discovery of evidence linking Martinez to the crime.

In the investigation, authorities also found over 3,000 rounds of ammunition and other weapons in a storage unit rented by Martinez. It contained bomb-making components and books on killing and body disposal, which raised concerns about his state of mind.

Martinez was arrested and charged with capital murder. He was tried and found guilty in January 2002, and a jury sentenced him to death shortly after. Despite numerous appeals, all were denied. Martinez was executed by lethal injection on March 10, 2009. In his final moments, he expressed love for his family and reassured them that he would be fine.