STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
CASE#: 24A2004920
RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Detective Sgt. Isaac Merriam
STATION: Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit
CONTACT#: 802-524-5993
DATE/TIME: 11:55 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, 2024
INCIDENT LOCATION: Butternut Hollow Road, Enosburgh, VT
VIOLATION: Aggravated murder
ACCUSED: Darren Martell
AGE: 23
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: St. Albans, VT
VICTIM: Roberta Martin
AGE: 82
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Enosburgh, VT
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
The Vermont State Police arrested a 23-year-old man from St. Albans late Thursday on a charge of aggravated murder arising from the killing of Roberta Martin of Enosburgh.
Darren Martell, who had been living with the residents of a house next door to Martin’s home on Butternut Hollow Road, is expected to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 26, 2024, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans. State police arrested Martell on the murder charge Thursday night while he was in custody at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, where he has been jailed since Monday on an unrelated charge of lewd and lascivious conduct. A judge ordered that Martell be held without bail pending arraignment on the aggravated murder charge, which upon conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Vermont State Police worked closely throughout this investigation with the Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, which will handle Martell’s prosecution.
No additional information is currently available. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following Martell’s arraignment. Members of the media should contact the court clerk’s office to confirm details of the hearing.
***Update No. 5, 11:30 p.m. Monday, July 22, 2024***
On July 22, 2024, an autopsy of the human remains recovered on Sunday (7/21/24) was performed at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. The remains were identified as Roberta Martin, 82, of Enosburgh. The cause and manner of death are pending at this time.
On July 22, 2024, at approximately 12:00 PM, state police detectives were attempting to locate Darren Martell, 23, in St. Albans. Martell was one of several people being interviewed for the investigation involving Roberta Martin’s death. Detectives first observed Martell in a wooded area near the St. Albans Town School. As detectives approached Martell they observed him masturbating along the edge of a public walking path. When Martell observed detectives walking toward him, he ran into the woods. Additional detectives, uniform troopers and St. Albans Police Department officers responded to the area of the school in order to search for Martell. The St. Albans Town School went into “lock down” as law enforcement searched the area around the school. Martell was located a short time later and brought to the St. Albans Barracks. This arrest and charge is unrelated to the Roberta Martin investigation. Please refer to the press release of Martell’s arrest for more details.
The investigation into Martin’s death is ongoing.
No further details are available at this time. VSP will continue to provide updates to the public throughout this investigation.
***Update No. 4, 9:55 p.m. Sunday, July 21, 2024***
During the ongoing search for Roberta Martin, the Vermont State Police located human remains at about 11 a.m. Sunday in a wooded area off Sand Hill Road in Enosburgh. The area, which is close to Ms. Martin’s home, has been secured, and members of the Crime Scene Search Team responded to process the location.
The human remains are believed to be those of Ms. Martin. The remains will be sent to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington.
No one is currently in custody. This investigation remains active and ongoing, and the Vermont State Police would like to speak to anyone who has information that could assist detectives. To share tips, people should call the St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993 or leave anonymous information online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No further details are available at this time. VSP will continue to provide updates to the public throughout this investigation.
***Update No. 3, 11:10 p.m. Friday, July 19, 2024***
Crews from multiple agencies spent the day Friday searching for Roberta Martin, 82, of Enosburgh. Members of the Vermont State Police, including the Crime Scene Search Team, executed a search warrant Friday morning at a house and property adjacent to Ms. Martin’s home on Butternut Hollow Road. As of 7:30 p.m., she has not been located.
Detectives, meanwhile, continue to conduct interviews and search for evidence. The Victim Services Unit is providing support to Ms. Martin’s family. The available information continues to indicate that her disappearance is suspicious.
Dozens of personnel from search and rescue teams with the Vermont State Police and additional agencies have covered more than 1,500 acres on foot around Ms. Martin’s home. Criminal Division detectives will remain on scene and continue working the case throughout the weekend.
The Vermont State Police encourages members of the public to be vigilant as this investigation unfolds. Although there is no evidence at the present time to suggest the community is at risk, people still should take reasonable precautions, such as locking the doors to their homes and vehicles and remaining aware of their surroundings.
Anyone who might have information that could assist in this case is asked to call the Vermont State Police in St. Albans at 802-524-5993 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
***Update No. 2, 10:05 p.m. Thursday, July 18, 2024***
Search efforts for missing person Roberta Martin concluded at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday. She has not been located. Personnel from the Vermont State Police and supporting agencies will return to the scene at about 9 a.m. Friday, July 19.
Investigators continue to ask that anyone with information that could assist in this case call the St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993 or provide an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
***Update No. 1, 3:15 p.m. Thursday, July 18, 2024***
Search efforts for Roberta Martin continued overnight and are ongoing Thursday afternoon. Crews are concentrating on the area around Ms. Martin’s house on Butternut Hollow Road in Enosburgh. The Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team is processing Ms. Martin’s home and property, and detectives from the Major Crime Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigations are conducting interviews, gathering evidence and pursuing potential leads.
Investigators obtained information that indicates Ms. Martin’s disappearance is suspicious. To ensure the integrity of the investigation, VSP is unable to comment further at this time on the evidence that has led to this conclusion.
The state police would like to speak to anyone who passed through the general area of Sand Hill Road and Butternut Hollow Road from 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, until 12 noon Wednesday, July 17, and might have any potentially relevant information. VSP has received several tips regarding people walking or jogging in the area during that timeframe, and detectives are seeking to identify and interview anyone who fits this description. Please call the St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993 to speak with an investigator. People also can provide anonymous tips online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
Ms. Martin is reported to be in good health both physically and mentally.
Search efforts involve the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team, K-9 Unit, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program, and uniformed troopers from the Field Force Division. The Victim Services Unit also is involved. Additional participating agencies include the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife, New England K9 Search and Rescue, and the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team. The Enosburgh Fire Department and Enosburgh Rescue are providing logistical support and assistance. The Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office is actively involved.
VSP is aware of numerous false reports and potential scam or spam posts on social media regarding this investigation. The public is advised that the only source for the release of official information is the Vermont State Police.
Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police Criminal Division, will be available to speak with members of the media at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at the Enosburgh Fire Department, located at 83 Sampsonville Rd.
***Initial news release, 4:50 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, 2024***
The Vermont State Police is investigating a missing-persons case involving 82-year-old Roberta Martin of Enosburgh. Martin last had contact with her family by phone at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2024, and has not been heard from since. Neighbors reported her missing to the state police at about 11:55 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, after going to check on her and discovering she was not at her home on Butternut Hollow Road. The circumstances surrounding Martin’s disappearance are under investigation, and there are concerns for her welfare.
A clothing description is unavailable at this time. Martin is about 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 115 pounds. She has white hair and brown eyes. A photo of her is attached to this release.
Troopers and detectives are actively pursuing leads, and special teams including VSP’s Canine Unit and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program are involved in the search. Members of the public might notice an increased police presence in the vicinity of Martin’s home on Butternut Hollow Road. Anyone with possible information regarding Martin’s whereabouts should call the Vermont State Police in St. Albans at 802-524-5993 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional information is available. The Vermont State Police will provide updates as this investigation unfolds.
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