Codey Martinez, a 22-year-old man from Springfield, Missouri, was shot and killed during the early morning hours of September 20, 2026, outside an apartment complex in the 200 block of East Montclair Street. Springfield police were called to the area at approximately 2:20 a.m. after gunfire was reported. When officers arrived, they found Martinez suffering from a fatal gunshot wound in front of the residence. He died at the scene. His death became Springfield's ninth homicide investigation of 2026.
According to the probable cause statement later filed in the case, Martinez's girlfriend told investigators that he had gone outside the apartment to smoke with someone who also lived in the complex. A short time later, she heard several gunshots outside. When she went to investigate, she found Martinez lying on the ground. Police examining the parking lot reported finding 9mm cartridge casings and other projectile evidence near the scene.
Another witness reported hearing the gunfire and then seeing a person wearing a gray shirt, khaki pants, a hat and glasses leave the area in a red Ford Mustang. Investigators soon focused on Christian Ladameir Blackwell, a Springfield resident who was later identified as the suspect. According to the probable cause statement, Blackwell arrived at a family residence in the red Mustang at about 2:25 a.m., only minutes after the shooting, and asked for the keys to a silver 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Doorbell-camera footage reportedly captured him approaching the home, and investigators said the outline of an object resembling a handgun could be seen on him.
The search for Blackwell extended well beyond Springfield. Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers eventually located him in the Tecumseh area of Ozark County after the Jeep had reportedly crashed into a tree. He had left the wrecked vehicle and was found on foot. He was taken into custody and transported back for questioning before being booked into the Greene County Jail. One account said a trooper encountered him roughly seven hours after Martinez was found dead.
The probable cause statement describes unusual statements Blackwell allegedly made after his arrest. Investigators said he told them he had been seeing what he believed were demons and that he had shot a "demon" six times near his apartment. He reportedly told police that he regularly used THCA and claimed the substance caused him to see demons. Authorities also said Blackwell acknowledged owning a Taurus 9mm handgun, and police reported finding the firearm on him. Those statements are allegations contained in the charging documents and have not been established at trial.
Away from the investigation, people who knew Martinez described a very different picture of the life interrupted by the shooting. His convenience-store manager, Vivian Yarber, remembered him as kind, hardworking and quick to help when coworkers needed him. She said Martinez loved working on cars and had moved to Missouri from California with his partner more than a year earlier as they worked to build a life together. Yarber said she hoped he would be remembered for his kindness, smile and the care he showed other people rather than solely for the circumstances of his death.
The Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Christian Blackwell with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with Martinez's killing. Blackwell was ordered held in the Greene County Jail without bond. No trial or conviction had been reported in the available sources as the case remained in its early stages, and prosecutors emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Blackwell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Springfield homicide detectives continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
