In the summer of 1977, a tragic event unfolded in Houma, Louisiana, forever altering the lives of several families. On August 14th, 19-year-old Anne Tierney, a young female, was at a mobile home in Bayou Blue with three other individuals: Bobby Todd, Terry Hebert, and Sandra Brake. Their lives were cut short that day in a brutal act of violence that shook the community.
The perpetrator was David Dene Martin, a former youth counselor.
Martin's motive stemmed from the discovery of his wife's affair with Bobby Todd. Fueled by a combination of alcohol and the drug phencyclidine, Martin went to Todd's mobile home. There, he opened fire, killing all four people inside, including Anne Tierney.
Following the quadruple homicide, David Dene Martin was arrested and subsequently convicted for the murders. He was sentenced to death for his crimes. His defense attorney argued that Martin was under extreme stress and the influence of drugs at the time of the killings. Despite numerous appeals and a final plea to the State Pardon Board, the sentence was upheld.
On January 4, 1985, David Dene Martin was executed by electric chair for the murders of Anne Tierney, Bobby Todd, Terry Hebert, and Sandra Brake. His execution was the 33rd in the United States since the 1976 Supreme Court decision that reinstated the death penalty. The case left a lasting scar on the community of Houma and served as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of jealousy and violence.
