On an autumn day that turned tragic, 54-year-old Orlando Martinez, a real estate broker from Westville, New Jersey, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside his gold-colored Honda Accord in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia. The discovery was made on the morning of Halloween, October 31, 2018, on the 4500 block of Oakmont Street. A passerby noticed him in the vehicle and alerted the authorities.
When police arrived at the scene around 11:04 a.m., they found the car locked and
had to break a window to reach him. Martinez was barely alive, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency responders performed CPR and rushed him to Aria Torresdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at 11:40 a.m.
The day before he was found, Martinez had been scheduled to show a house in the same area where his car was discovered. He never returned home, prompting his wife to report him missing on Tuesday night. Friends described him as a very friendly, spiritual, and helpful person who was always willing to assist others in the community.
Investigators believe that Martinez likely knew his assailant and that the killer may have been inside the car with him when the shooting occurred. The motive did not appear to be a robbery, as nothing was taken from him. As of late 2018, no arrests had been made in connection with the murder, and police have asked for the public's assistance with any information regarding suspicious activity on Oakmont Street. The case has left his loved ones searching for answers.
