NEW YORK (TCD) — A 36-year-old man has been convicted of killing and dismembering one of his employees in 2018 and covering up her death in an attempt to fraudulently obtain life insurance policies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Eastern New York announced Monday, March 4, that a jury found Cory Martin guilty of murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and fraudulent use of identification in a plot to kill 26-year-old Brandy Odom. Martin faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Martin lived in Queens with Odom and a co-conspirator who were both “engaged in commercial sex work for the defendant who operated as their pimp.” According to the attorney’s office, Martin and the co-conspirator illegally acquired two life insurance policies in the victim’s name in March and December 2017. They also used a debit card in Odom’s name to make premium payments to the life insurance companies via Western Union money orders.
Martin’s co-conspirator testified in court and reportedly said that before killing Odom, the defendant viewed the crime show, “The First 48,” and they talked about “what not to do and what things to do to avoid being caught by the police.” Martin also allegedly watched the scripted serial killer drama “Dexter” because he was “looking for ways to commit the crime when he got rid of Brandy.”
According to the attorney’s office, Martin strangled the victim in her bedroom in early April 2018 before he and the co-conspirator bought cleaning items and a vacuum at Green Acres Mall in Long Island to cover up the crime scene. On April 6, 2018, Martin reportedly went onto Home Depot’s website to search for a “Dewalt 12-Amp Corded Reciprocating Saw.” Prosecutors said he also went online and searched YouTube for “how to insert blade for reciprocating saw” and “using reciprocating saw” that evening.
According to the co-conspirator, Martin covered the bathroom in heavy-duty black trash bags before dismembering Odom’s body in the bathtub with an electric saw. He later disposed of the woman’s remains in Canarsie Park with the help of his co-conspirator in the early morning hours of April 8 and April 9, 2018.
Martin searched for various online news articles on April 10, 2018, including “Search area expands after dismembered body found in Canarsie Park in Brooklyn.”
Martin reportedly found a Twitter post that read, “Person walking dog discovers remains of woman in Brooklyn park,” and the next day he searched “exclusive interview of mother of girl found in park” on YouTube.
Martin reportedly told his co-conspirator to claim the benefits under Odom’s life insurance policies, and she tried several times with no success.
United States Attorney Peace said in a statement, “Martin saw the victim as a moneymaker, trafficking her for commercial sex, then after killing her with his bare hands, tossing out her slaughtered body parts like trash so he could profit from her death. Brandy Odom suffered an unthinkable death at the defendant’s hands, but her life mattered and I hope that this verdict holding the defendant responsible brings some measure of closure to her family.”
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