A U.S. federal court has handed down a second life sentence to David Deval Martin, 40, of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, for the savage 2013 killing of a Checotah woman he once dated.
Martin was convicted by a federal jury in October 2024 of murder in Indian Country after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the case fell under federal jurisdiction, requiring retrial.
He had previously been sentenced to life without parole in 2016 after a state court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.
According to court filings, Martin viciously beat and stabbed the victim more than 100 times, inflicting over 109 injuries to her head and neck.
Investigators determined the attack lasted 20 to 30 minutes or more, during which the victim remained alive and possibly conscious.
Hours before the killing, Martin was seen threatening her at a convenience store, gesturing a mock gun at her head.
Evidence against him was overwhelming: his DNA mixed with the victim’s blood was recovered from the crime scene, alongside his fingerprint on a metal rod used in the assault and his DNA on the steering wheel of her abandoned car.
Officials hailed the sentencing as a victory for justice in Indian Country.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti said the case showed the Department of Justice’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims of violent crime. U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson praised investigators’ “thorough work,” while FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater described Martin as a “depraved and merciless killer” who will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Martin will remain in U.S. Marshals custody before transfer to a federal prison.
The case was the last indictment handled under the DOJ’s McGirt project, created after the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling to ensure murder prosecutions in Indian Country were properly pursued.
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