Dimitri Larese Martin was 34 years old when his life was cut short by gunfire in downtown Davenport, Iowa. On Friday, March 3, 2023, Davenport police responded to a shooting at Third and Ripley Streets. Officers found Martin, a Black man, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
In the days following the shooting, the Davenport Police Department asked for the public’s help in locating a vehicle believed to be involved.
Investigators released a detailed description of the car, identifying it as a dark-colored, possibly dark blue, four-door sedan. The vehicle had several unique characteristics, including blue-tinted or LED headlamps, chrome trim around the windows, a turn signal on the side mirror housing, a third brake light at the bottom of the rear window, and a dual exhaust. Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.
The investigation eventually led authorities to two suspects. Trevelyan Pugh, 24, and Sylvester Staples, 32, were both charged in connection with Dimitri Martin’s death. Each man faced a list of identical, serious felonies in Scott County District Court.
Both Pugh and Staples were charged with first-degree murder, a Class A felony in Iowa that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. They were also charged with conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, assault while participating in a felony, going armed with intent, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the latest available court information, Scott County prosecutors refiled these charges against both men, and the case is proceeding through the court system.
