Neighbors Describe Kind, Helpful Parents
In a bond hearing early afternoon on Monday June 10, 2019, — two days after the violent deaths of her parents were discovered in their house shortly after 12:32 a.m. on Saturday June 8, 2019 — Deborah Jane Martin, age 43, was ordered held without bond on charges of First-Degree Murder. On Monday morning at 12:34 a.m. Arlington Heights Police Department announced Deborah Jane Martin was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder after the Major Case Assistance Team (MCAT) worked two full days assisting Arlington Heights Police Department investigators at the scene.
On Monday afternoon in Cook County Circuit Court Rolling Meadows, prosecutors said Deborah Jane Martin repeatedly stabbed her father, David Martin, 72, and his wife, Anne Martin, 71, to death just after midnight Saturday morning, and a few hours after the three had dinner with neighbors.
Described in court as a “bone-chilling call to 911” at 12:32 a.m. Saturday, mortally-injured Anne Martin alerted police to her own homicide and the homicide of her husband on Derbyshire Lane just south of Campbell Street. The 9-1-1 audio recording captured Anne Martin moaning and gasping for air and pleading “No, Debbie,” according to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin
“The mother of the defendant is subsequently unable to respond to the 911 operator’s inquiries, but her dying gasps and moans are heard throughout the call,” which was made from a portable landline phone (cordless phone), according to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin. Arlington Heights police officers later found the blood-covered “cordless” phone on the kitchen counter with the line still open between the residence and Northwest Central Dispatch System’s 9-1-1 center.
Upon arrival and before realizing this call was not a routine call for assistance, and before realizing that two homicides had occurred; police could not get anyone to come to the door. Next, while outside at the rear of the house, police saw Anne Martin down in the kitchen with signs of violent trauma. After police officers forced entry, Anne Martin was still located in the kitchen. Anne Martin suffered seven stab wounds to her chest, two wounds to her neck and one in her back. She also had defensive wounds on her hands, according to Amado-Chevlin.
Also, after Arlington Heights police officers forced entry into the locked home on Derbyshire Lane, they found David Martin down on the threshold of the front hallway and living room, according to Amado-Chevlin. David Martin was stabbed three times in the chest, once in the left biceps, once in the left leg, and he was also stabbed along the right side of his neck. The neck wound was described as a slash. Investigators noted a blood trail leading from David Martin’s living room recliner to the threshold of the front hallway and living room where his body was found, according to Amado-Chevlin.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled the deaths as homicides with multiple stab wounds as the cause of death of both victims.
When police officers were inside the house, they saw Deborah Martin standing in the hallway with wet hair, “consistent with someone having just showered,” according to Amado-Chevlin.
Deborah Martin was taken into custody and secured, and Arlington Heights Fire Department firefighter/paramedics, who were staged outside for safety, were told the victims were non-viable. At about 12:48 a.m., police requested two paramedics to enter the home to confirm the victims were dead.
According to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin, police investigators recovered a Smith & Wesson knife with a 6-inch blade and a black handle in a bathroom. The sheath for the knife was found in a drawer in Deborah Martin’s bedroom. Also, according to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin, investigators recovered a recent receipt for the purchase of a knife that matched the description of the one found in the bathroom.
Investigators also found a personal journal located next to bloody clothes on Deborah Jane Martin’s bed. In the personal journal, multiple references, including a recent June 2, 2019 journal entry, mentioned killing her parents, according to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin.
Neighbors — who woke up to crime scene tape surrounding the victims’ house, two crime scene command vans, and multiple police vehicles and police officers on the scene — said that David and Anne Martin were very kind people, who often helped a disabled elderly person who lived nearby. They knew that David Martin worked for Motorola and that he recently marched with other veterans in the Arlington Heights Centennial Celebration Memorial Day parade, participating as a Vietnam veteran. Neighbors also knew that Anne Martin was a retired teacher who worked at Prospect High School and Wheeling High School. One neighbor described the couple’s daughter as troubled, and said he was aware that several years ago Deborah Martin lived in Georgia. He said he heard that Deborah Martin’s boyfriend called Deborah’s parents to warn them that she was allegedly driving north to Arlington Heights from Georgia to kill them. The neighbor said he heard that Deborah Martin ran out of gas and didn’t make it to Arlington Heights.
Recently, neighbors said Deborah Martin lived with her parents on Derbyshire Lane, and said her parents were trying to help her.
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Arlington Heights homicide investigation at house on Derbyshire Lane very early in the investigation about 1:00 a.m. Saturday June 8 2019.
Major Case Assistance Team (MCAT) going to work early Saturday morning about daybreak to support Arlington Heights Police Department for a double homicide investigation on Derbyshire Lane near Campbell Street.