In January 2017, 43-year-old Diana Rodriguez-Martin was last seen at her home in Brooklyn, New York. Her family grew concerned in February after not hearing from her for nearly a month and reported her missing after she failed to show up for a doctor's appointment. When her family inquired about her whereabouts, her husband, Phillip Martin, gave them conflicting stories, initially claiming she had packed a bag, took their dog, and left around January 16th.
At the time of her disappearance, she was reportedly wearing a dark blue pea coat, a dark sweater, black boots, and blue jeans.
The investigation into Diana's disappearance quickly focused on her husband, whose answers to police questioning were deemed inconsistent and suspicious. Authorities discovered that Martin had been using his wife's credit cards in the weeks following her disappearance. The couple had a documented history of domestic disputes, with police having been called to their residence on multiple occasions for domestic violence complaints dating back to 2008. Both Martin and Rodriguez-Martin had prior arrests for assaulting one another. After his arrest on February 16, 2017, Martin admitted to killing his wife.
Phillip Martin confessed to striking his wife in the throat, which resulted in her death. He stated that he kept her body in their living room for about a week before dismembering her with a hammer and a handsaw. He then disposed of her remains in a dumpster on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. Despite his confession, Diana Rodriguez-Martin's remains have never been recovered. Martin was initially charged with murder and concealment of a human corpse. However, he ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and in February 2018, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The case highlights a tragic end to a long history of domestic turmoil, leaving a family to mourn a loss without the solace of laying their loved one to rest.Last Seen: Jan 16, 2017
