Visalia Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Girlfriend
Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Anthony Martin, age 23, to life in prison for the 2019 murder of his girlfriend in Visalia.
In the early morning of October 5, 2019, Martin and his girlfriend of two years had an argument on the drive back to her Visalia house. When they arrived, Martin told her to get his AR-15 rifle, which she was storing for him. During the argument, Martin threatened and choked her. When Martin left, his girlfriend called a friend and said the relationship was over. She gathered Martin’s things at her house, and dropped them on the porch of his residence. As she was driving back to her own residence, she noticed Martin’s vehicle following her.
Martin, still in possession of the rifle, arrived at the house and argued that some of his property was not returned. The victim’s roommate heard them argue. The victim told him to leave and a few seconds after walking out the front door, Martin turned and fired four shots through a metal security door, with one shot hitting her in the neck and shrapnel from another hitting her leg. A neighbor heard the shots and witnessed Martin leaving in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement arrived in minutes, but the victim was deceased at the scene.
Through investigation, law enforcement was able to locate Martin’s storage locker where they found the illegally modified rifle. Using cell phone pings, officers located Martin sitting in his car eating breakfast outside his place of employment.
On April 12, 2022, a jury convicted Martin of second-degree murder with the special allegation of personal use of a firearm causing death, and possession of an assault weapon.
Under current California law, Martin must serve no more than 42 years in prison before being eligible for parole. However, due to his age at the time of the crime (20), Martin is eligible for a Youth Offender Parole Hearing under AB 1308 (2018) after 25 years of incarceration. The case was prosecuted by senior deputy district attorney Adam Clare and was investigated by the Visalia Police Department.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Senior Deputy District Attorney Adam Clare (559) 636-5494