Ernest Martin (murderer)

Ernest Martin (September 22, 1960 – June 18, 2003) was executed by the State of Ohio for the murder of a Cleveland store owner.

On December 20, 1982, Ernel Foster, a security guard, was robbed of his .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver by a black male, while waiting at a bus stop in Cleveland, Ohio.

Foster later testified that he chased the offender for a block and a half and was able to see his face.

He further noted that the offender's hair was in small braids.

Foster was able to identify Martin, noting that his hair was braided in the same manner as it appeared on December 20, 1982.

Later, Foster identified Martin in the courtroom as the man who had taken his weapon.

Martin's girlfriend, Josephine Pedro, testified that he had threatened her with a gun earlier that year, telling her that he had stolen the weapon from a security guard.

She wrote down the serial number of the gun on the back of an envelope box.

The number was identical to the serial number of Foster's weapon except that the letter "D" had been purposely transformed into a "9."

Pedro testified that this was done to make the number sequence look like a telephone number in order to ward off any suspicion.

He was convicted of the crime on July 8, 1983, and spent 19 years, 11 months, and 10 days on death row while his case was appealed.

On February 1, 1983, Foster was summoned to the police station to view a line-up composed of six black males.

Pedro further testified that in the early hours of January 21, 1983, Martin revealed a plan to Rob Robinson's Drug Store.

She attempted to dissuade him but Martin threatened her if she did not cooperate in the robbery.

Martin then left the apartment and returned approximately ten minutes later with the gun he had taken from Foster.

Martin devised a plan whereby Pedro was to go to the store and attempt to buy medicine for a cold.

When 71-year-old Robert Robinson, owner of the store, unlocked the door to allow Pedro's entrance, Martin planned to follow her in and rob the premises.

Martin wore gray pants, tennis shoes and a waist length black leather jacket.

He covered his face with a brown knit cap in which he cut holes for his eyes to avoid being identified.

At approximately 12:45 a.m., Pedro arrived at the store and knocked on the door.

Upon recognizing Pedro, Robinson unlocked the door to let her in.

However, he locked the door again before Martin could gain entry.

As Robinson stood in front of the door after locking it, Martin fired two shots through the door fatally wounding him.

After firing the shots Martin allegedly went to the apartment to change his clothes and then returned to the store to finish the robbery.

Monty Parkey, an employee of Robinson, was in the back room at the time of the shooting.

After hearing the shots and seeing what had occurred, Parkey called an ambulance and the police.

He then instructed Pedro to go to Robinson's house to get Mrs. Robinson.

Pedro complied and upon returning was interviewed by the police concerning the events.

She gave them her name and address and stated she knew nothing about the shooting.

Martin was also present at this time and talked to the police.

Upon completing her interview, Pedro returned to her apartment.

When Pedro reached the apartment she called her neighbor, Larry Kidd.

Martin returned approximately thirty-five minutes later.

Pedro asked Martin whether the evening's events had been worth it.

He showed her a pile of bills under a blanket which he then took into the bathroom and explained that the robbery netted $39.

Martin then drove Kidd and Pedro to an "after hours" spot for drinks.

After they sat down at the table, Martin took two spent cartridges from his pocket and placed them on the table.

Kidd remarked: "Mr. Robinson got shot twice, and you got two cartridges."

Martin did not respond to this comment.

Several days after the shooting the police again questioned Pedro and Martin.