EVERETT — Jose Luis Martinez came here to make a life.
He left his parents in Mexico when he was just old enough to drive. Martinez, 24, returned to his family in a coffin.
A year after settling in Everett he was gunned down in one of the city’s most crime-plagued neighborhoods.
Everett police continue to hunt for the shooter.
Martinez is part of the state’s first deck of cold-case playing cards. He is featured on the three of spades. The decks of cards are handed out to jail and prison inmates in hopes of soliciting tips about unsolved homicides and missing persons cases dating back to the 1970s.
Martinez’s death is the most recent homicide in the deck.
The shooting happened June 27, 2007. Investigators believe Martinez and two friends were searching for drugs when they went to an apartment on W. Casino Road.
A dispute erupted in gunfire. Martinez was shot in the courtyard. One of his friends was shot in the thigh.
Neighbors were awakened by police and ambulance sirens. They voiced concerns about ongoing violence and drug activity in the area.
A month before Martinez was slain, a gang-related shooting at nearby Walter E. Hall Park during a Little League practice sent kids and their parents scrambling for cover.
Everett police detective James Brouwer says he is actively investigating the homicide. He wants to find answers for a family thousands of miles away. He believes someone saw who pulled the trigger.
“I know there are people out there that know what happened,” he said.
Melissa Ashby and her mother have hung reward posters around the area. Ashby and Martinez were dating and had made plans to be married, she said.
Martinez was a good person with a big heart, Ashby said.
“He deserves justice,” she said. “His family deserves justice.”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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