On a tragic morning in Tupper Lake, New York, the community was shaken by the violent death of Jamie Rose Martin, a 34-year-old mother of two. On May 10, 2017, Martin was shot and killed by her 47-year-old ex-boyfriend and the father of her children, Stacey Ayotte, who then used the rifle to take his own life in her front yard. A co-worker of Martin's at Sunmount Developmental Disabilities Services Office discovered the bodies and alerted the authorities at 7:25 a.m.
Their two young children were not present at the time of the incident and were placed in the care of family members.
Jamie, a Tupper Lake native, was remembered by friends and family as a kind, compassionate, and loving woman with an infectious smile that could light up a room. She was a graduate of Tupper Lake Middle-High School and had attended the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, where she cultivated her artistic talents. Her greatest joy was being a mother to her daughter and son, to whom she was deeply devoted. The community, a small and close-knit town, was left in a state of shock and disbelief, as murders were a rare occurrence.
The incident was the tragic culmination of domestic issues. Although Martin and Ayotte had been in a long-term relationship, it had ended prior to the murder-suicide. In the wake of her death, the community rallied to support her family, establishing a GoFundMe page that raised a significant amount for her funeral arrangements and the care of her children.
As there was no suspect to apprehend, the investigation concluded with the determination of a murder-suicide. In the years following the tragedy, Jamie Martin's family and friends have worked to keep her memory alive and to raise awareness about domestic violence. An annual 'Jamie Rose Power Walk' was established to 'Break the Silence of Domestic Violence' and to support local domestic violence organizations. The town of Tupper Lake also designated May 10th as Jamie Rose Martin Domestic Violence Awareness Day to honor her memory and to advocate for greater community response to domestic violence issues.
