In a quiet neighborhood in Saint Amant, Louisiana, the life of Fred Martin Jr., a 37-year-old male, was abruptly cut short on January 31, 2014. That evening, deputies from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a residence on LA Highway 933 after reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, they discovered Martin's body lying in the driveway, the victim of a fatal shooting.
The initial investigation quickly shifted from a death investigation to a homicide, signaling a violent end to what should have been an ordinary Friday night.
As detectives began to piece together the events leading to Martin's death, their focus soon narrowed in on three individuals. The ensuing investigation led to the arrests of Eric Landry, then 34, Shantel Schexnayder, then 24, and Travis Upp, then 31. The trio was apprehended in the days following the discovery of Martin's body, bringing a swift, albeit unsettling, development to the case. The nature of the relationship between the victim and the suspects, and the motive behind the deadly encounter, became the central questions for law enforcement and a concerned community.
The legal proceedings that followed painted a clearer picture of the alleged conspiracy and violence that led to the death of Fred Martin Jr. Eric Landry and Shantel Schexnayder were subsequently charged with second-degree murder, while Travis Upp faced a charge of principal to second-degree murder. As the case moved through the justice system, it culminated in a trial where the details of that fateful night were brought to light. Ultimately, in May 2016, a jury found Eric Landry and Shantel Schexnayder guilty of second-degree murder. Travis Upp was also found guilty of principal to second-degree murder, solidifying the accountability of all three individuals in the tragic and untimely death of Fred Martin Jr. The convictions brought a measure of closure to a case that had shaken the Saint Amant community, delivering justice for a life taken too soon.
