Bio

Jerry Duane Martin was born on March 28, 1970, in Collin County, Texas. Martin was one of five children in his family. His parents divorced when he was young. After the separation, Martin and his siblings lived primarily with their mother, moving several times during their childhood.

He had a happy demeanor as a child but experienced a significant change after the death of his older brother, Joey. This event deeply affected Martin and contributed to his later problems, including substance abuse.

Martin did not complete high school. He began to engage in criminal activities early on, which led to several run-ins with the law. In 1988, he faced charges for theft and received shock probation. However, he was soon involved in more serious criminal behavior. In 1994, Martin was arrested for attempted capital murder after a high-speed chase with law enforcement, during which he fired shots at police officers.

Prior to the crimes that led to his death sentence, Martin had already developed a history of violent behavior. He was in and out of prison before the events of September 2007, which ultimately sealed his fate. At age 37, he was serving a significant sentence for attempted capital murder when he escaped during a work detail, leading to his involvement in the death of a correctional officer.

Murder Story

On September 24, 2007, Jerry Duane Martin, a prisoner at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Wynne Unit, participated in a work detail outside the prison. Along with co-defendant John Ray Falk, Martin managed to overpower a correctional officer, take her gun, and then escape.

During their escape, Martin stole a city truck parked nearby, which had the keys left in it. He drove toward the high rider, Officer Susan Canfield, who was trying to stop them. In the process of fleeing, Martin struck Canfield with the truck, causing her to fall and sustain fatal injuries. She was thrown from her horse and landed heavily on the ground.

After hitting Canfield, Martin stopped the truck, and Falk got in as they sped off. A witness followed them and called 911. They abandoned the truck a short distance away and fled on foot. When they reached a nearby bank, they attempted to carjack a vehicle from a woman in the drive-thru. After successfully taking this vehicle, they were pursued by law enforcement.

The chase continued on the interstate until they crashed into a field due to a blown tire. At this point, Martin aimed a rifle at officers, and shots were exchanged. Eventually, both inmates fled into the woods. Falk was apprehended relatively quickly, but a search for Martin took longer.

Law enforcement used dogs and horses to track Martin. He was found hiding in a tree later that afternoon, wearing only his underwear. Martin was arrested and taken back into custody.

Following these events, Martin was charged with capital murder for the death of Officer Canfield. In December 2009, he was convicted and sentenced to death. After a series of appeals, he was executed by lethal injection on December 3, 2013.