TEXAS LAST MEAL
DAVID AARON MARTINEZ
July 28, 2005

Last Meal: None

The skinny: Martinez, a former Austin drifter was executed for the rape-slaying of a Minnesota woman attacked on a jogging trail eight years ago.

More skinny: The victim, a student from Minnesota, visiting her sister in Austin. Her body was found beside a trail in a park near the home of her sister. She had been raped, strangled, and her throat had been cut. The victim told her sister the previous day that she intended to meet an individual named "Wolf" at the park. Martinez, whose nickname was Wolf, told friends that he intended to meet a girl at the park. He returned home after midnight, with a bicycle he did not own. A police search of his apartment produced the victim’s bicycle, her bicycle bag, and Martinez’s Swiss army knife. Blood on the knife matched her DNA. Hairs on her body were consistent with Martinez’s hair and Martinez’s DNA matched semen on the woman’s underwear.

A Travis County jury deliberated 15 minutes at his 1998 trial before convicting him of capital murder.

Martinez had no prior criminal convictions, but in April 1995, a few months prior to his 18th birthday, he was charged with carrying an explosive device. He was given deferred adjudication and placed on five years' probation. He was sent to boot camp after violating the terms of his probation.

Last words and such: "Only the sky and green grass goes on forever, and today is a good day to die."

Factoids: Martinez was the...

32nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
976th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
10th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
346th murderer executed in Texas since 1976