FBI Offers Sizable Reward for Information About Murdered Police Officer
| FBI Charlotte May 05, 2011 |
An arrest was made in this case in 2012.
- Related press release
JONESVILLE/GASTONIA, NC—The FBI is now offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who shot and killed Jonesville Police Department Sgt. Gregory Martin. There is already a $30,000 reward being offered, bringing the total possible reward to $130,000.
Sgt. Martin was shot and killed on the side of Interstate 77 in Yadkin County, North Carolina in October 1996 during a traffic stop. He was shot multiple times and left for dead on the shoulder of the highway. Sgt. Martin’s duty weapon was found in his holster, not having had time to defend himself.
After the shooting, the suspect(s) dumped a truck stolen from a dealership in Princeton, West Virginia and took a van from a business in Elkin, North Carolina. The van was later found abandoned in the Home Depot parking lot on Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia, North Carolina. FBI agents at the Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia have determined the suspect(s) have ties to one of these areas, and believe someone knows who murdered Sgt. Martin.
“The Jonesville Police Department, along with other local agencies and state and federal agencies, are committed to solving this case and bringing justice and closure to the Martin family. This year marks 15 years since Sgt. Martin’s murder, and he is still missed today as if it happened yesterday,” said Chief Roger Reece of the Jonesville Police Department.
“Anyone who dares to shoot and kill a member of law enforcement is inherently dangerous and should not be allowed to roam free and possibly live next door. The shooter has family members, friends, or even neighbors who may know something. We need those people to help us solve the murder of a man who died serving his community,” said Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI.
Anyone with information in the areas of Princeton, West Virginia or the Interstate 77 counties in Virginia; Jonesville, North Carolina; or Gastonia, North Carolina is asked to call the Charlotte Division of the FBI at (704) 672-6100 or the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation at 800-334-3000.