DEANGELO KENNETH MARTIN | Detroit “Eastside Serial Killer” Left Victims' Socks As Calling Cards On Their Bodies After Raping And Murdering 4 Women, Staging Their Bodies Face Down With One Leg Up, Sexually Assaulting 2 Others | ALS

Deangelo Kenneth Martin

Biography

Deangelo Kenneth Martin was born on May 30, 1985, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a challenging environment that involved criminal activity. His mother, Chantrienes Barker, was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of Antoine Caruthers in 1998. Following his mother’s incarceration, Martin was raised by his father and later lived with his paternal grandparents after his father’s death. He graduated from Kettering High School in 2003 and reportedly attended Wayne University but did not complete his degree. Throughout his life, he faced difficulties securing employment and experienced financial struggles.

Murders

Martin’s criminal activities escalated into a series of violent crimes between February 2018 and June 2019, during which he murdered four women and raped two others in Detroit. His first known victim was Annette Nelson, a 57-year-old woman whom he lured to an abandoned house where he raped and strangled her to death. Her body was discovered on February 26, 2018.

In March 2019, Martin met Nancy Harrison, aged 52. After using drugs together, he took her to another abandoned house where he raped and bludgeoned her to death; her body was found on March 19, 2019.

Later that same month, at the end of April, Martin murdered Travesyn Ellis (also reported as Trevesene Ellis), another woman aged 52. Her decomposed body was discovered on May 24, 2019.

On May 6, 2019, Martin attacked a 26-year-old woman at a drug den; she fought back and managed to escape after stabbing him. This incident led to police involvement but allowed Martin to evade capture temporarily.

On June 3, 2019, he attempted to rape another woman who defended herself by stabbing him multiple times. Despite this confrontation, Martin went on to murder Tamara Jones (55 years old), whose body was later found in an abandoned building.

Martin exhibited disturbing behaviors with each murder; he posed the victims’ bodies in humiliating positions and left behind used condoms containing biological fluids at each crime scene while stealing personal items from the victims.

Arrest and Legal Proceedings

Martin was arrested on June 7, 2019, at a bus stop in Detroit after being identified by one of the surviving victims from the May attack. Following his arrest, blood and saliva samples linked him conclusively to the murders of the four women. The police conducted extensive searches of over 3,000 abandoned houses in Detroit for additional potential victims.

In December of that year, a psychological evaluation determined that Martin was sane and capable of standing trial. His trial commenced on August 20, 2020. In September 2022, he accepted a plea deal wherein he pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and two counts of rape in exchange for a sentence of between 45 to 70 years instead of life imprisonment without parole. He received this sentence on October 6, 2022.

VIDEO: Purported serial killer sentenced to prison | https://youtu.be/XMUJ0cinGj4

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