In the early evening of March 15, 2021, the life of 18-year-old Caleb A. Martin, a Black male from Columbia, South Carolina, was tragically cut short. The fatal incident unfolded around 8 p.m. in the parking lot of an EZ Spot convenience store located in the 3200 block of Farrow Road. Authorities were alerted to the sound of gunfire by the ShotSpotter notification system. Upon their arrival, Columbia Police Department officers discovered Martin with grave injuries from a shooting.
Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he succumbed to his wounds.
The investigation into Martin's death swiftly led to the identification and arrest of two suspects. James Oxendine, Jr., then 19, was taken into custody and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A second individual, 27-year-old Sheldon Turner, was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of murder. According to police, Oxendine was the individual who shot Martin. Turner was accused of being aware of the crime, driving Oxendine away from the scene, and failing to provide aid to the victim or alert law enforcement. Both men were booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
Further investigation into the circumstances of the shooting raised questions about potential negligent security at the convenience store where the incident occurred. While in custody for Martin's murder, James Oxendine, Jr. faced an additional murder charge in connection with the beating death of another inmate at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in January 2023. There is no publicly available information detailing the trial, conviction, or sentencing for either James Oxendine, Jr. or Sheldon Turner in direct relation to the death of Caleb Martin.
