ST. ALBANS, VT – Darren Martell, a 23-year-old resident of St. Albans, Vermont, has been accused of sexually abusing, killing, and then discarding the remains of his 82-year-old neighbor in a gruesome murder case. On Thursday, July 25, Martell was arrested and subsequently charged with aggravated murder the next day in relation to the death of Roberta Martin from Enosburgh, Vermont, as per a bulletin released by the Vermont State Police (VSP).
Based on media reports, it was established that Martell pleaded not guilty during his appearance before the St. Albans Court on Friday, July 26. The court session on that day was reportedly a tense one, characterized by palpable emotions among Martin’s family and friends who were in attendance to follow the proceedings. Martin was reported as missing by one of her neighbors on Wednesday, July 17, the VSP mentioned in a previous statement.
The last recorded contact with Martin was via phone call late at night on Tuesday, July 16, around 11:30 p.m. The police, deeming her disappearance as “suspicious,” revealed that they had found indications of a forceful entry into her home during their investigations.
Cameras captured Martell conversing with the police a day after Martin went missing. Following further investigations, Martin’s body was discovered in a secluded area near her home in Enosburg off Sand Hill Road, the VSP disclosed on Sunday, July 21.
Authorities outlined a disturbing sequence of events stating that Martell sexually assaulted Martin before taking her life. Post-mortem, Martin’s remains were allegedly incinerated and subsequently buried.
Martell found himself in legal trouble for inappropriate behavior in public and was arrested and charged with alleged lewd and lascivious conduct on Monday, July 22, which are claims backed by witnesses for the VSP. Following a not-guilty plea on Tuesday, July 23, Martell had to pay $500 as bail and was detained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.
While Martell was still incarcerated, he was rearrested and charged with regard to Martin’s death. Martell is set to return to court next week as proceedings continue. The records do not indicate whether Martell has acquired legal representation.