Facts of the Crime:
In July 1995, Martinez stole a blue Monte Carlo in California and a license plate from another California car. Two days before the murder, he showed a friend in Globe his revolver with black electrical tape wrapped around the handle. Martinez had prior convictions for violent crimes, was in violation of his probation, and did not want to go back to prison. On August 15, 1995, several drivers noticed Martinez because of his excessive speed on Arizona 87. One couple passed him just after Officer Robert Martin pulled him over and was approaching the stolen Monte Carlo.
Martinez shot Officer Martin four times and took his service revolver. Due to Martinez's reckless, high-speed driving while fleeing the scene, several other drivers took down the Monte Carlo's license plate number. Martinez fled to California, where the police arrested him a day later and recovered the murder weapon and Officer Martin's service revolver. After his arrest, Martinez was overheard during a telephone call bragging to a friend and laughing that he had killed a cop. Tests revealed that at least one of the bullets that struck Officer Martin was fired from Martinez's tape-wrapped revolver.
Martinez was sentenced to death on August 18, 1998.
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