Michael Raymond Martinez, a 42-year-old Hispanic male, was fatally shot in Wichita, Kansas, on September 30, 2021. The incident occurred in Room 207 of the Extended Stay America hotel located at 9450 E. Corporate Hills Drive. The conflict that led to his death began over a soured drug transaction.
Patricio S. Gomez, 32, and a woman named Shae M. Roberts, went to Martinez's hotel room.
An argument ensued after a $60 electronic payment that Gomez attempted to make with his cellphone failed to go through. In the ensuing confrontation, Gomez opened fire on Martinez. Following the shooting, Gomez and Roberts fled the scene in a black Cadillac.
After an extensive manhunt, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents apprehended Gomez in March 2022. He was caught when the truck he was driving got stuck in the Rio Grande River as he attempted to re-enter the United States from Mexico. Roberts was also charged in connection with the case.
In January 2023, a Sedgwick County jury found Patricio S. Gomez guilty of the murder of Michael Martinez. The jury also convicted him on one count of attempting to distribute methamphetamine. However, he was acquitted of an attempted aggravated robbery charge. Earlier in the trial, Gomez had pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
