Find us on Facebook
Follow us on TwitterState seeks death penalty for Martin
Eden Police Department
Luther Qwama Martin
Published: August 4, 2008
WENTWORTH – Luther Martin, the 18-year-old man charged with killing his girlfriend’s infant son, could face the death penalty if convicted, according to a ruling Monday morning in Rockingham County Superior Court.
Martin is charged in the June 19 death of 11-month-old Antonio Devon Bridges. Martin was staying with the child’s mother, Jamica Woodard, in the Mar Gre Motel in Eden. According to court documents, Woodard stepped outside the room to smoke a cigarette and returned to find her son unresponsive.
Preliminary autopsy results show the infant died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen and skull.
The court agreed with Assistant District Attorney Julia Hejazi in seeking the death penalty. Martin’s attorney requested bail, which was denied.
“The state opposes bond, considering the injuries sustained by the child, a lacerated liver and a fractured skull, and that Martin was out on pretrial release at the time of the child’s death,” Hejazi said.
Martin’s next court date is August 25.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Whether there was or wasn’t drugs involved. If the mother step out to smoke a cigarette. How far did she go to not hear this baby in pain or being hurt. There is no excuse. They both should be punished. This baby has gone on to a much better place and he will receive more love and more care than he could have received here on this earth. This man may regret what he has done. The Lord will forgive him if he ask, but we has human beings have a hard time understanding why people like this was placed in the path of an innocent child. As for the mother. I hope that the Lord will bless her and guide her to live a Christian life and know that if she had any hand in this, that she will have to face it on judgement day. You can’t run and hide anymore on that day.
Putting him to death may not bring the infant back but he WILL NOT get a chance to do it again. Since we do not allow torture like drawing and quartering which would be justice in his case we will have to settle for a needle for this scum. He robbed a kid of life. He will not sit around and regret it. Otherwise he would not have done it. The only regret he has is getting caught. Drugs or not he deserves to die for what he did.
This person is only 18 years old, and a mere baby himself, as is also the mother I suspect. Drugs and alcohol might also have been in the picture, to cause his brutal attack on the baby. However, I believe to simply kill him out of revenge is not going to bring the child back. A long sober prison sentence and the fact that he will be branded for life, as a “baby killer” will be much more severe punishement than merely putting him to sleep. The mother is not innocent in this matter either, by putting the baby in harms way, she bears a lot of responsibility
too.
This 18 yr old should be done worse to than what he did to that precious 11 month old baby! Death penalty is too easy for him.
This is so very sad. I think that instead of death penalty, this 18 year old should be done worse to than that presious 11 month old baby! At least we all know that that lovely baby is in Heaven and everything is great and wonderful for him now, he’s with Jesus!
He should get the death penalty. If he would do this to an defenseless, innocent baby, what might he do to anyone else who go against him. He is a serious hazard to society.
Advertisement