Macon man draws life without parole after Monroe County murder conviction
After deliberating about 90 minutes, Monroe County jurors found a Macon man guilty of murder and armed robbery in the 2013 shooting deaths of two men.
Marquez Deshawn Martin, 21, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole Thursday, said Richard Milam, district attorney for the Towaliga Judicial Circuit. Martin’s trial began Monday in Monroe County Superior Court.
The jury also found Martin guilty of aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and three counts of violating the state’s gang act.
During the trial, witnesses testified that a group of four people -- including Martin -- offered brothers-in-law James Pittman Wood, 40, and Russell Jacobs, 36, a ride home from a gas station near the Bibb-Monroe county line May 7 after the men’s truck broke down.
The group, who authorities said had ties to Macon’s Money Over Everything street gang, later robbed and fatally shot Wood and Jacobs at Wood’s home on Woods Drive in south Monroe County, according to testimony.
Prosecutors said Martin ended a fight between Wood and 21-year-old Jordan Keaugh Maxwell by pointing a gun at Wood. Wood and Maxwell had been fighting over a gun after Maxwell shot Jacobs.
Once free, Maxwell shot Wood.
Martin’s lawyers maintained that Martin didn’t know Maxwell intended to shoot Wood, and he only participated in taking items from the house because Maxwell told him to do so while holding a gun.
Martin exercised his right not to testify in his own defense Wednesday.
Character witnesses described him as a hard worker and a kind person.
Martin’s mother said he was working at a Publix store while attending technical school at the time of his arrest. He had hopes of joining the Marine Corps.
Two of Martin’s co-defendants, 18-year-old Sameeria R. Carter and 20-year-old Dave’von Sapp, testified as part of plea deals with prosecutors.
Maxwell pleaded guilty to being the triggerman, killing both men. He is serving two life sentences.
To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.
This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Macon man draws life without parole after Monroe County murder conviction ."