Jaclyn Martin Sentenced in Murder-for-Hire

Jaclyn Martin was sentenced in Baltimore County Circuit Court today to 60 years in prison for the first-degree murder of her husband, Lee Martin, according to a statement from the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.

Martin pleaded guilty before Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr. on Jan. 13.

Lee Martin was killed as he left the bar he owned, the Hops Inn on Railway Avenue in Dundalk, at about 2 a.m. on May 22, 2010. He was shot eight times, according to authorities.

An investigation by Baltimore County police officials determined that Jaclyn Martin solicited her brother, Robert Garner, to kill her husband.

She provided money to Garner to buy a gun and called her husband at the bar just before he stepped out of the building as he closed the business for the night, according to the statement.

Garner, with the assistance of Brandon Roth and Sturn Davis, ambushed and shot Lee Martin as he was walking to his house next-door to the bar.

Roth, who drove the getaway car, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 20 years with all but seven years suspended.

Sturm Davis pleaded guilty to armed robbery and the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and was sentenced to 30 years with all but 10 years suspended. Davis thought the victim was only
going to be robbed, according to the statement.

Garner pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2011, to first-degree murder and was
previously sentenced by Judge Cahill to 60 years in prison.

"We always want to punish the shooter the most but, in this case, she started the ball rolling and we believe she should be punished equally," Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said last month of Jaclyn Martin. "Garner had no independent reason to kill (Lee Martin) but for her request for him to do so."

The state had requested a sentence fo 60 years for Jaclyn Martin.