In the autumn of 1905, a dedicated public servant named Peter Martin, a Caucasian male, met an untimely and violent end in the line of duty. On October 23rd, Constable Martin of the Marion Police Department was tasked with serving a writ of execution at a residence located at 323 7th Avenue in Cedar Rapids. His duty was to remove furniture from the home to satisfy a legal judgment against the homeowner.
As Constable Martin carried out his orders, the female homeowner arrived at the scene. Distraught at the sight of her belongings being removed, she confronted the constable. The situation escalated tragically when the woman produced a handgun and shot Constable Martin inside her home, killing him instantly. Officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department responded to the incident and promptly took the woman into custody.
Following her arrest, the woman faced legal proceedings for the death of Constable Martin. During her trial, her defense attorney argued that the writ of execution was invalid and that she had warned the constable to leave her property before she fired the fatal shot. The court, however, did not accept this justification. She was ultimately found guilty of manslaughter.
On February 16, 1906, the woman was sentenced to five years in prison for the killing of Constable Peter Martin. Her time in incarceration was not served in its entirety, as she was granted parole on October 10, 1908.
