A Wayne County Grand jury has handed down indictments on Monday (11/2) against three people in the shooting death of Rafael Martinez on, or about October 25
Family members became concerned when Rafael Martinez, age 59, disappeared from his home on Caroline Street in the Village of Clyde. Family initially posted on social media sites asking for anyone’s help in finding the man.
State Police began working the case after responding to a report of a missing adult person.
Little did family know that Rafael, also known as Ralph, or Ralphy, had been the victim of a domestic incident at his residence.
During an alleged domestic dispute, Rafael’s wife, Linda R. Martinez, age 53, had shot her husband sometime on Sunday (10/25).
Sources close to the investigation indicted Linda Martinez claimed that Rafael had beat her and she shot him in self defense.
It was after the shooting death that Linda Martinez called and involved her nephew, Brandon H. Williams, age 27, of 12950 Old Route 31 in the Town of Savannah and his friend, co-conspirator Mark T. Shannon, age 54, of 1475 High Street in Savannah.
According to the Indictment, both Williams and Shannon, removed Rafael’s body and the handgun used to kill him from the residence. The handgun was tossed into a pond in Savannah. Rafael’s body was taken to the Seneca River in Cayuga County and dumping it into the water.
Through an investigation by the New York State Major Crimes Unit out of Canandaigua, an interrogation, a forensic study of a cell phone, evidence began to build concerning Linda and the two men involved in transporting the body and concealing evidence.
Members of the State Police Underwater Recovery Team, assisted by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and CSX Railroad, recovered the body of Rafael Martinez, age 59, from the Seneca River in Cayuga County on Wednesday (10/28).
The State Police Underwater Recovery Team, then searched a Town of Savannah pond where the gun used in the killing and Rafael’s cell phone were reportedly thrown. State Police are not releasing information on wether the gun and a cell phone have been recovered.
Linda Martinez was indicted for Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
Williams and Shannon, both well known to police for their criminal histories, were indicted for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree.
According to sources, Mark, who has been notorious in Savannah for more than 20 years, has previously been charged with sex abuse, assaulting his son, weapons possession, countless domestic cases, burglary, criminal possession of stolen property, petty larceny, harassment, etc ..
Linda Martinez, along with Williams and Shannon were all indicted for Tampering With Physical Evidence for the moving and disposal of the body and evidence.
Both Williams and Shannon have reportedly cooperated with police in the investigation.
All three defendants are being held in the Wayne County jail, pending their next County Court appearances.
State Police were assisted by the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office, Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, the Village of Clyde Police Department and the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office.
