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Facebook post purportedly from murder suspect just before arrest: “I will no longer enjoy time on earth with you all”
By Michael Bielawski
The man arrested last week for murdering an 82-year-old Enosburg woman has been charged with aggravated murder. Darren Martell, 23, of St. Albans was arraigned on Friday, is being held without bail, and if convicted could face life in prison without possibility of parole.
Now the court affidavit and recent social media posts continue to fill out this crime’s disturbing nature. More details are emerging on the aggravated murder – a more serious charge than first-degree murder – as well as gruesome details on the subsequent efforts to hide and destroy the body of Roberta Martin, 82.
Also, the accused young man appears to have posted a distressing message on his Facebook page as recently as just a week ago, making it the same day as his initial arrest.
Martell was living in a camper near the victim, an elderly woman Roberta Martin age 82. She was reported missing by neighbors late Wednesday evening, July 17.
Both the victim and the alleged attacker lived on Butternut Hollow Road. However, according to reports on the affidavit by VtDigger and others, Martell initially had told police he was visiting from out of town before later admitting he lived in a camper on the same street.
Martell was initially apprehended by detectives around noon on Monday, July 22, and sent to the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. He was then formally taken into State Police custody on the following Thursday.
He was caught after detectives saw him masturbating in the woods near St. Albans Town School, there was then a chase and search of the area while the school was put into lockdown. Martell was located shortly after and arrested. He now faces additional and unrelated charges for the public masturbation.
At the arraignment, the defendant’s lawyer requested that the ‘aggravated’ portion of the charge be dropped, but the judge rejected that, so the charge remains aggravated murder. According to reports from the courtroom, Martell’s lawyer tried unsuccessfully to convince the judge there was no apparent evidence that the sexual activity found by authorities was not consensual.
Burned body in woods
Last week a state police press release described that human remains were discovered at about 11 AM Sunday, July 21, in a wooded area near Sand Hill Road in Enosburgh, about three-quarters of a mile from the victim’s home. By the following day, examiners were able to confirm that the remains belonged to Martin.
According to the court affidavit – as reported by VTDigger and other outlets – the remains were burned. Part of the evidence cited included there was a firepit cleaned up near Martell’s camper and pieces of duct tape were found scattered.
Suspect had revealing Facebook Page
Martell has a Facebook page, and some of the material shows signs that he led a troubled life. The tagline at the top of his page reads, “I’ve been loved by most but felt like I’m hated by the world.” One of his posts from 2021 reads, “I needa delete Facebook and get a therapist.”
On a social media post shared as a comment on Martell’s Facebook page, one woman shares what likely was the final Facebook post by Martell before his arrest near the school. She posted a screenshot of Martell’s post on her phone two days ago, when the post was already five days old, making it the same day as the arrest.
It states, “I will not let these pigs frame me. My mom has said enough. I will no longer enjoy time on earth with you all. So long everyone.” The post continues with more profanity and apparent distress.
Aggravated murder conviction requires life without parole
Martell is suspected of sexually assaulting the victim before the murder. Aggravated murder is considered more serious than a typical charge for murder, because it involves added crimes of pay-for-hire, murder when already convicted of murder, murder by a first-responder, and others, including: “The murder was committed in perpetrating or attempting to perpetrate sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault.”
State law requires life imprisonment without possibility of parole for conviction of aggravated murder: “The punishment for aggravated murder shall be imprisonment for life and for no lesser term. The court shall not place on probation or suspend or defer the sentence of any person convicted of aggravated murder. A person sentenced under this section shall not be eligible for parole during the term of imprisonment imposed herein and shall not be eligible for work-release or noncustodial furlough except when serious medical services make custodial furlough inappropriate.”
The author is a reporter for the Vermont Daily Chronicle. His news articles previously published on the http://www.KeepVermontSafe.com website will be published on VDC.
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Categories: Keep Vermont Safe
Remember years ago if you stole a ” Horse ” they hung you for that crime, it happened but not very often, they understood the consequences when caught.
Nowadays we have this POS, that may get ” life ” in prison free room & board, and color TV, now isn’t that harsh punishment, while Roberta Martin, is no longer with us?
If you want to stop this nonsense, reinstate ” capital punishment ” It may happen but
not very often, even if it’s tied up in court from bleeding hearts, people like Martell have no soul or morals……….. He’s like a mad dog, you need to put them down !!
Vermont has a serious crime problem relative to it’s size and population. Crime includes Murder, Rape, auto wrecks and staling. Criminals fro MA, NY, NJ came to VT because it’s easy street benefits without much legal problems. States where Liberals govern, are the hardest hit for crime, and are generally set free within a short time. Welcome to VT.
VT has to take a hard stance against this element, immediate justice. If committed a serious crime, murder, rape, the cause of a killing, mutilation then no leniency. The illegals that came from countries for the most part do not appreciate criminals, this country has allowed prisoners out to come to the US. We now have a crime wave. Think Saudia Arabia fools around, loose a hand, leg, ears, or get stoned to death. Hence no crime.
In Vt, Burlington is the crime capitol. If they were bussed to the Montpelier and Barre areas where politicians can grasp the seriousness of crime and maybe act on it. My take is immediate judgment, by guillotine, hanging, dangling off a bridge for two weeks, Firing squad as Gary Gilmore did in Utah, or cyanide pills like the Nazis. Setting examples, it’s rtheir choice. Word will spread quickly and Vt could become the safest state and other states should follow. A mline in the sand has to be drawn. If Montpelier Liberals see the positive results, they may be converted.
The US, CA & Vt are patsies. MAGA, Make VT Real Again. (MVRA)
I thoroughly agree. Wish they hadn’t posted his photo next to hers. THe Death penalty would be appropriate for this POS as you called him.
I live just down the road from where he was staying. Everyone who lives in that house (who we call the methheads) is sketchy and shady. Our neighborhood was very involved in the search for Roberta. In the Bible these kinds of murderers are required to be put to death.
Remind me again how empathy for the sexual deviant is making them less oppressed and more lovable…
Life without parole is meaningless in Vermont, although it is always used as the justification for never using capital punishment. About a year ago, Chittenden County Prosecutor Sarah George successfully procured the furlough release of Gregory Fitzgerald, a miscreant who viciously murdered his wife in 1993 to collect on a life insurance policy. He pled guilty and was sentenced to “life without parole” but he now walks among us thanks to those who vote to maintain in office this pathetic excuse of a prosecutor.
Actually the law on ag murder is very specific and loophole-free. Although I suppose where there’s a will there’s a way
To be fair, the argument was made by Prosecutor Sarah George that murderer Fitzgerald did not adequately consider the details of his original plea deal, and realistically who would plead guilty and agree to be given the hardest penalty possible in Vermont…life without parole? He should have never been offered the plea deal in the original prosecution. There was ample evidence for a conviction of aggravated murder. It was done to spare the victim’s family the agony of having the gory detail spilled out. Unfortunately, in Vermont, the end result is that he now walks free. Anyone who has voted for Sarah George has blood on their hands.
the city of st. albans needs more tourist business//// perhaps a public hanging in taylor park would solve two problems///
Should it be revealed that Mr. Martell has a history of run in’s with the law and reaped the benefit of the current revolving door judicial system, perhaps the family of Ms. Martin should retain an attorney to research his history and possibly bring suit (or at the very least, a judicial complaint) against the judge(s) responsible for releasing him back into the public thus allowing Mr. Martell to destroy their family. And as an aside…the lawyer representing Mr. Martell needs to return their license….to have been so crass as to even suggest that the brutal rape of an 82 year old woman might have been consensual is so over the top outrageous that I am left speechless. This attorney, whoever it is, has no business appearing in court representing anyone. Ever.
Just my opinion.
“Martell’s lawyer tried unsuccessfully to convince the judge there was no apparent evidence that the sexual activity found by authorities was not consensual.”
Yeah, because consensual sex between an 82 yr old and a 23 yr late at night is a very common thing! 😡 Shouldn’t defense lawyers be required to have a soul?
…and he broke into the house [in which she lived alone] through a window that he removed a window a/c from… sounds consensual…NOT!
Repulsive !I wonder if that lawyer would claim it was consensual if the victim was their mother or grandmother .Sadly it’s a possibility .
was it true that the air conditioning unit was remove from the window so mr. martell could have consensual sex////
I’m not sure I like the reading comprehension I am seeing here.
Where is any evidence of anything except two coincidences? Even if the victim and the defendant knew each other (very likely if they lived on the same back road), we still don’t really know what happened.
What homeless person living in a camper *doesn’t* have a fire pit near them? Or Duct Tape? Was there evidence of duct tape on the victim?
Is this a case of guilt by association, or do they have any real evidence?
Funny. Where will you be playing this weekend?
Your posting is VERY INTERESTING. Many Q’s of which I’m sure there is info explaining to answer your Q’s. Seems you haven’t done research to settle your mind. Did you come from out of state in Liberal land where they don’t provide common sense. I’m going to copy your post and file it in my Liberal folder. It’s classic.
Keyboard Perry Mason, no they have no evidence and just arrested this savage for practice.
d. n. a./////////