The Crime
At around 1:55am on April 16, 2003, Edward Martinez drove a passenger to the back alley of the house of David Hicks on Kennedy Street NW, Washington, D.C.*
Upon arrival, the passenger ran out of the car and shot David Hicks with a sawn-off shotgun that he had been concealing. When Edward realized what was happening, he yelled “no,” but it was too late. The entire episode lasted less than 30 seconds. Hicks was pronounced dead.
* For the safety of Edward’s family, the shooter’s real name is not included here. For more information about the shooter, please contact the Team.
The Sentence
On July 21, 2006, Edward Martinez was sentenced to 55 years for a First-Degree Murder. On discrepant evidence, he was found guilty as an aider and abettor for his role as the driver of the vehicle that the shooter was in to and from the scene of the crime.
Edward did not have prior knowledge that David Hicks, the decedent, would be shot. The shooter, who threatened to kill Edward’s sister if Edward gave away his identity at the time, escaped and was never identified or tried in court.
The Aftermath
Thomas Peace, whom Edward believes stole the shooter’s belongings, told lead Detective Don Juan Monroe a story about Edward and David Hicks getting into a fight. Edward believes Peace’s intention here was to “create as much disarray as possible” in order to distract from the fact that he stole the shooter’s items. In Peace’s narrative, Edward threw a cup of liquor into Hicks’s eyes, and Hicks picked up a brick and threatened Edward. No brick or cup was ever found on the scene. Peace died in 2004.
With Peace’s dubious narrative suggesting that Edward had the mens rea to kill, Edward Martinez was convicted of First Degree Murder. The shooter threatened to kill Edward’s sister if Edward gave up the shooter’s identity. For the safety of his family, Edward did not defend himself in court.
After the murder, the shooter told a mutual friend, Ryan Nedd, that Edward did not have prior knowledge that Hicks was going to be killed. Although Nedd told the prosecution the shooter’s real name, and was never pursued. The prosecution’s notes from the conversation with Nedd, which might have exonerated Edward, were never disclosed, and Nedd was never summoned to court. He still maintains Edward’s innocence and is willing to testify in court.