In the late hours of a cold February night in Denver, a tragic story unfolded that would cut short the life of Roxann Martinez, a 31-year-old woman. On February 25, 2021, Martinez was found shot to death at the intersection of East Kenyon Drive and South Wabash Street. The Denver medical examiner would later confirm that her death was a homicide resulting from a gunshot wound.
At the time of her death, Martinez was slated to be a witness for the prosecution in the high-profile murder
trial of Donthe Lucas, who was accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, in 2013. This connection initially led to public speculation that her murder was an attempt to silence her testimony. However, the Denver Police Department repeatedly stated that they had no evidence to support this theory and did not believe her death was connected to the trial.
The investigation into Roxann Martinez's murder soon focused on her ex-boyfriend, 29-year-old Emmanuel Chandler. Believing the homicide was the result of a domestic violence incident, authorities began searching for Chandler, who was described as a Black male, 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. The search came to a swift conclusion when Chandler turned himself in to the Denver police late on a Thursday night. He was subsequently held for investigation of first-degree murder.
Emmanuel Chandler's trial revealed the grim details of Martinez's final moments. Prosecutors presented evidence that after shooting her, Chandler dumped her body on the side of the road and attempted to use bleach to cover up the crime. After a trial and approximately six hours of deliberation, a Denver jury found Emmanuel Chandler guilty of one count of first-degree murder after deliberation.
