Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison without the Possibility of Parole
DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the Major Crimes Unit obtained a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole against a man who murdered two young women in a South Knoxville residence. Jair Romario Martin, 28, pled guilty to two counts of First Degree Murder, two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping, and one count each of Criminal Impersonation and Evading Arrest. At a sentencing hearing today, Judge Scott Green sentenced Martin to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In the plea hearing and sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorneys Rachel Hill and Jeannine Guzolek explained to the Court that on May 13, 2023, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a call regarding a shooting and possible barricaded suspect at a residence in South Knoxville. The investigation revealed that Martin and one of the victims had been dating for some time. Martin became aggressive the morning of the shooting, causing the victim to contact her mother to tell her that she did not feel safe. While on FaceTime with her daughter, the victim’s mother saw Martin holding a gun refusing to let the victim leave. The victim’s mother called 911 while still on the phone with her daughter. Martin said, “I’m going to murder you” before shooting the first victim multiple times. Martin then turned and shot the second victim who had witnessed the first murder. Surveillance video recovered from the residence captured audio of the murders. In addition to multiple gunshot wounds, the first victim also suffered multiple stab wounds and was stabbed in the head with a carving fork. Martin fled the scene and was apprehended a few days later.
“The lengthy sentence in this case ensures this defendant will never be able to harm another member of our community,” said DA Charme Allen.
Prosecutors proved that Martin’s actions were heinous, atrocious, and cruel, and that the second murder occurred in order to eliminate a witness to the first murder. Assistant Victim Witness Coordinators Kara Sowards and Kaitlyn Smith and Legal Secretary Connie Watts aided in the prosecution of this case. Sentencing for the remaining counts will occur on August 22.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.