A former Fort Campbell Army Officer could face the death penalty if he’s convicted in a triple murder that occurred in Pembroke in November 2015.
According to the Christian County Grand Jury indictment released to the News Edge Monday morning, the death penalty is listed as an option in the case against 51-year old Christian Richard “Kit” Martin. The grand jury returned the sealed indictment Friday, which was unsealed Saturday following Martin’s arrest at the Louisville International Airport. Martin, who lives in North Carolina and is a pilot for American Airlines, was indicted on three counts of capital murder, two counts of first-degree burglary, first-degree arson, first degree attempted arson and three counts of tampering with physical evidence. Each charge alleges Martin “acted alone or in complicity with another or others”.
The indictment stems from events that occurred on or around November 18, 2015, in which Calvin Phillips was found shot to death in his home located at 443 South Main Street in Pembroke. The bodies of his wife, Pamela, and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau, were found in a burned out car, owned by Mrs. Phillips, in a cornfield on Rosetown Road, a few miles from the victim’s homes.
The indictment alleges Martin shot Calvin Phillips with a .45 caliber pistol and used a .22 caliber firearm to shoot his wife, Pamela, and Dansereau on or about November 18, 2015. The indictment alleges Martin then placed Mrs. Phillips and Dansereau in a car and set it on fire. The three counts of tampering with physical evidence are for Martin allegedly trying to destroy the bodies of Mrs. Phillips and Dansereau.
The murders were investigated by Kentucky State Police and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.
According to News Edge archives, Martin was an Army Major at Fort Campbell and rented at home located at 458 South Main Street in Pembroke. Army officials told the News Edge on November 27, 2015, that Martin had been scheduled for court-martial proceedings on December 1, 2015, on charges including Mishandling Classified Information, Rape of a Child, Assault of a Child Under 16 Years of Age, and Communicating a Threat. Calvin Phillips was reportedly a witness that was set to testify in Martin’s court-martial proceedings. In May 2016, Martin was reportedly found not guilty of the sexual assault charges and was found guilty on lesser charges of mishandling classified information and two counts of simple assault.
On Saturday, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear announced his Special Prosecutions Unit will be prosecuting the case and that Christian Circuit Court Judge John Atkins had ordered Martin be held without bond to await his trial. Martin is lodged in the Christian County Jail and will be arraigned in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday, May 22.
