Vermont Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting and Murdering His Missing 82-Year-Old Neighbor After Her Body Found Dumped in Woods
The body of Roberta Martin (left) was found days after her neighbors reported her missing. Now, Darren Martell (right) has been arrested in connection with her death, police said.
Aug. 2 2024, Published 12:50 p.m. ET
Law enforcement officials in Vermont said a man has been arrested in connection with the death of his neighbor, who was reported missing several days before her body was found, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On July 17, neighbors went to the house of 82-year-old Roberta Martin in Enosburg, noticed she wasn’t home and reported her disappearance, according to the Vermont State Police. Family members also claimed they last heard from Martin on July 16, Front Page Detectives reported.
Burning Man 2024 kicked off with a tragic death of one of the festival-goers, authorities said.
Multiple agencies assisted in a search for the elderly woman, and on July 21, state police located human remains in a wooded area, which the medical examiner positively identified as belonging to Martin.
On July 22, detectives tried to locate 23-year-old Darren Martell, one of several people they were interviewing as part of the investigation.
A tip to police in 2022 had them start re-examining the evidence, including a marijuana joint found in the vehicle, cops said.
Authorities spotted Martell in the woods and he fled after officers approached him while he was allegedly masturbating along a walking path near a school, state police officials said.
Hardin was found in a Louisiana motel and is waiting extradition back to Georgia to face charges in the death of his wife.
A nearby school reportedly went into lockdown as authorities began searching for Martell in the area. He was found shortly after and arrested on a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct.
As the investigation continued, authorities identified Martell, who had been living in a trailer next door to Martin’s home, as the primary suspect in Martin’s death.
Messages between the attorney and the inmates show Hall agreeing to put money on their accounts for the babies, officials said.
Police alleged the suspect broke into the victim’s home, sexually assaulted her, dumped her remains in a wooded area and tried to burn them, according to court records obtained by VTDigger.
Investigators collected DNA from Martin’s body, which reportedly pointed to Martin as a suspect, the records claim.
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On July 25, Martell, who was already in custody, was charged with aggravated murder, authorities said.
He remains held in the Vermont Department of Corrections without bond. If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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