Charles Martin conspired with Jerold Burks to shoot Jodi Torok in the head 10/27/08

[Sister Iroz]

Jerold R. Burks

Charles B. Martin

A man charged with attempting to murder a 26-year-old woman in Crofton last fall is believed to have been the father of her unborn child, according to police and court documents.

Charles B. Martin, 32, was arrested Monday afternoon after months of investigation by Anne Arundel County police homicide detectives, who tied him to the shooting through interviews with witnesses and a hair found at the crime scene, said Capt. David Waltemeyer, who commands the department's criminal investigation division.

Martin conspired with Jerold R. Burks, 22, to shoot Jodi Torok in the head as she stood in the vestibule of her home in the 1600 block of Hart Court on Oct. 27, according to court documents.

Torok, a hairdresser at an Annapolis salon, believed that Martin was the father of her unborn child, but he "was not happy about the pregnancy" and had a wife and other children, according to the court documents.

Torok was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center for emergency brain surgery after the shooting and survived.

According to the documents, detectives searching the shooting scene found a Gatorade bottle that had been used as a silencer for a gun. They discovered a piece of hair in tape wrapped around the mouth of the bottle and then obtained a search warrant to remove hair from Martin.

DNA tests showed that the hair found on the tape matched Martin's hair, according to the documents.

Police believe that Burks was the gunman, but they would not say whether Martin had been at the home on the day Torok was shot.

"There was certainly a close relationship between Martin and Burks, and there was communication between the two of them that led to the shooting," Waltemeyer said.

Martin, of the 5700 block of Crecy Court in the Bryans Road community in Charles County, and Burks, of the 11500 block of Timberbrook Drive in Waldorf, "used to hang out at a common associate's home," according to court documents.

Martin was also charged with conspiring to commit attempted first-degree murder and using a handgun in a violent crime. A bail review is scheduled for Tuesday.

Police are continuing to investigate the shooting, including the possibility that another person was involved, Waltemeyer said. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Michael Regan at 410... or Metro Crime Stopper

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/loc...tory?track=rss

[Insomniac]

Fuck face Charles could have avoided this had he thought of keeping his dick in his pants and NOT cheating on his wife.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I think I'm in love with Judge North

A Charles County man was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for attempting to kill his pregnant girlfriend two years ago.

Charles Brandon Martin was convicted of attempted murder earlier this year. Prosecutors said he was involved in the 2008 shooting that badly injured hair stylist Jodi Torok of Crofton.

Martin, who was married and dating two other women, was upset with Torok because she didn't want to abort the baby.

Prosecutors said Martin was behind the shooting, which left Torok in a wheelchair.
[...]

The accused gunman, Jerold Raymond Burks, was acquitted.

In handing down the life sentence at the county courthouse in Annapolis, Circuit Court Judge Pamela L. North exceeded sentencing guidelines.

She said there's no way to know what harm Martin might do once he gets out of prison.

"I believe you cannot be trusted," North said.

Torok praised the sentence.

"I got my early Christmas present," she said after the sentencing hearing.
[...]

Since the shooting, Torok has endured serious medical issues and a grueling recovery.

She was in a coma for weeks and her pregnancy was terminated, for fear of the damage done by the trauma and heavy medications coursing through her body. She since has had half a dozen surgeries.

Torok moved in with her parents, Tom and Pam, in Western Pennsylvania.

Pam Torok quit her job at a mail-order pharmaceutical company to care for Jodi and take her to her many medical and therapy appointments.

Jodi Torok, now 29, uses a wheelchair but is hoping to one day walk again, possibly with a walker or canes. She'd like to get back into hair styling, though she's not sure if that's possible with limited mobility.

"My main goal is to get up and walking," Torok said.

Torok appeared to be a casualty of Martin's unusual lifestyle.

Martin and his wife have four children, and he has two more children with other women.

In addition to dating Torok, he also was dating two other women, who were not the mothers of his children.

Martin's wife, Carissa Martin, told the court that their marriage was largely one of convenience and that he had "failed miserably" as a husband.

But she said he is a good father, always attending sports games, recitals and teacher conferences.

Martin was mostly a stay-at-home dad, although he did some basketball coaching and personal training.
[...]

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/new...ed-murder.html

[62julietandvoid]

Shame they terminated her pregnancy after all. I don't think I could've handled that. Ugh.