In the early hours of a summer morning in Nampa, Idaho, a young Hispanic man named Pedro Martin Jr., 25, found his life tragically cut short on July 13, 2014. The events that led to his death began with an accusation. A female acquaintance of a group of individuals alleged that Martin had attacked her, breaking her jaw. This claim set in motion a chain of events driven by a desire for retaliation.
A group consisting of James Whitewater, his wife Natalie Whitewater, Wayne Canaday, and
Alison Yancey went to the woman's house to confront Martin. There, they allegedly beat him. Following the assault, Martin managed to escape, fleeing to a nearby Walgreens pharmacy at the corner of 7th Street South and 12th Avenue South. He arrived with a bloody nose, seeking refuge from his pursuers. However, the confrontation was far from over.
James Whitewater, who had been given a gun by another man, Joshua Wasserburger, followed Martin to the Walgreens. In the parking lot, Whitewater fatally shot Martin. Police responded to a call of shots fired shortly before 2:45 a.m. and found Martin with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The subsequent investigation led to the arrests of James Whitewater, Natalie Whitewater, Wayne Canaday, Alison Yancey, and Joshua Wasserburger. James Whitewater was initially charged with first-degree murder, but the charge was later amended to second-degree murder, to which he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison and will be eligible for parole after serving at least 19 years. Joshua Wasserburger, who provided the murder weapon, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Wayne Canaday faced charges of aggravated battery and harboring a felon. The aggravated battery charges against Natalie Whitewater and Alison Yancey were ultimately dropped due to their cooperation with the investigation and their minimal involvement in the initial assault.
