A Washington state man will spend more than six decades in prison after ordering two teenagers to murder a 16-year-old boy in retaliation for a robbery he did not commit.
Isiah Davon Martin, 31, was sentenced to nearly 61 years in prison on Friday for killing 16-year-old Larry “Trae” Marshall III in 2023, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. According to court records, Martin was convicted in June of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and second-degree murder.
According to prosecutors’ sentencing memorandum, the ordeal began four days before the murder, on March 25, 2023, when Martin was robbed at a local mall. Martin hired Davonte J. Pool and Vincent L. Bradley III, who were 17 and 16 at the time of the shooting, to do his dirty work, according to prosecutors.
The suspects went to Lakeside Landing Apartments in Tacoma in the days leading up to the murder “looking for a suitable target,” according to the memo.
On March 29, 2023, shortly after 1 p.m., the suspects were driving to the complex when they spotted Trae, who did not rob Martin but was friends with those who did, according to prosecutors. Trae was walking to the complex to visit his friends.
Martin, who was driving, made a U-turn and parked. When Trae walked through the gate, he instructed Pool and Bradley to get out of the car and begin shooting. Pool and Bradley fired a total of 33 rounds at Trae before getting back into Matin’s car and driving away, the memo stated.
“The three killed Trae, a 16-year-old boy, who appears to have had nothing to do with Defendant’s robbery,” the prosecutor said. “Instead, Trae only harmed Defendant by claiming to be associated with the kids who had robbed him and making fun of him online.
That was all it took for Defendant to set up an ambush on a weekday and have his co-conspirators randomly shoot Trae.”
Martin, who was paralyzed in a shooting about ten years ago, testified in his trial, claiming Pool and Bradley acted independently and made a “spit second” decision.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Sorensen stated during the sentencing that Martin was the only adult in the car but did not act like one.
“This community needs adults that will help kids see right from wrong, that will help kids do what needs to be done to keep themselves and this community safe,” said Sorensen, according to the News Tribune. “To me, this is the worst kind of betrayal to this community that we could have.”
According to prosecutor Brad Hashimoto, “Mr. Martin was the only adult in that vehicle, and he is the only person in that vehicle with a motive.” “He led these kids to do something terrible.”
Pool and Bradley were previously convicted and sentenced to twenty years in prison.
Trae’s family paid tribute to him on a GoFundMe page.
“Trae was intelligent, funny, charismatic, and a phenomenal athlete. “And yet, he was so much more than words could express,” the page stated.
