Marquis Martin, a 26-year-old male from Monticello, Arkansas, was known for his joyful nature and big heart. His mother, Lakisha Williams, remembered him as a happy child with a "most beautiful smile" and a love for riding his bike. As an adult, Marquis was a devoted father to his son, Marquis Junior, who looked up to him immensely. He worked as a teaching assistant at Drew Central High School, where he enjoyed supporting students and rewarding them for good grades, and he also held a part-time job at McDonald's. His mother recalled his profound kindness, sharing stories of him helping community members with groceries or household tasks. "He’ll give his shirt — and I have seen him do this — give his shirt off his back to someone," she said.
The last time Marquis was seen alive was on the evening of February 9, 2020. Surveillance footage captured him at a Murphy USA gas station in Monticello at 9:21 p.m. He was later dropped off at his home in the nearby town of Wilmar.
Shortly after he vanished, his mother received a chilling text message demanding a $7,000 ransom for his safe return. The sender, who used Marquis's nickname "Mack," warned her not to contact the police. The message stated, "we demand a ransom payment of $7000 before we release him back to you alive. You are warned not to tell anyone or the cops about this, or He dies." The sender claimed the police were "no threat to me."
Despite the explicit warning, Marquis's mother contacted the authorities, and a search for her son began. Lakisha Williams organized family and community members to look for him, with their first search taking place on a heartbreaking Valentine's Day. For nearly a month, they prayed and held onto hope. Their desperate search came to a devastating end on March 7, 2020, when Marquis's body was discovered in a creek just outside the city limits of Wilmar. An autopsy performed by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory determined that the young father had died from a single, close-range gunshot wound to the head.
The Drew County Sheriff's Office, led at the time by Sheriff Mark Gober, launched a homicide investigation. Investigators believed the crime had occurred elsewhere and that Marquis's body was dumped in the creek. They interviewed approximately 45 people and identified persons of interest but ultimately made no arrests. The case was complicated by a storm of rumors that spread through the small community and on social media, some of which implicated the sheriff's sons after a photo containing a racial slur circulated. Gober publicly stated the rumors were unfounded and detrimental to the investigation, suggesting they were politically motivated by a rival candidate.
Frustration grew within the community and among Marquis's family over the lack of progress in the case. In the November 2022 election, Gober lost his bid for re-election to Tim Nichols. As the new Drew County Sheriff, Nichols took steps to reinvigorate the investigation. In February 2026, he announced that a request for the Arkansas State Police to take over the case had been denied due to the amount of time that had passed. He also reported that out-of-state labs could not offer different forensic analysis. However, Sheriff Nichols confirmed he was sending cell phone tower records to the FBI's facility in Quantico, Virginia, for further analysis. "I want to express that while we want nothing more than to solve this case and bring justice to light, we cannot build a case on rumors and speculation," Nichols stated in a press release. "We must have facts."
As of April 2026, the murder of Marquis Martin remains unsolved. No arrests have been made, and the investigation by the Drew County Sheriff's Office is ongoing. His mother, Lakisha, continues to be a vocal advocate for her son, determined to find answers and closure for her family. "I know that I’m not going to be able to live my life completely until I get closure," she said. "Some days I’m happy, some days I’m sad, you know, and I just have to keep fighting."
The Drew County Sheriff's Department asks that anyone with information about the homicide of Marquis Martin contact them at 870-367-6211 or email [email protected].
