Greenville County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina
End of Watch: Sunday, September 12, 1965
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 12, 1965
Weapon Used: Rifle; M-1
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life in prison
Deputy Sheriff John Martin was shot and killed in an ambush in a sandpit near the Saluda River, three miles from Marietta, South Carolina.
The suspect had his wife lure Deputy Martin to the sandpit on the pretext of a rock-throwing incident. When Deputy Martin arrived the suspect shot him six times with an M-1 carbine, killing him. The suspects dumped his body just inside Pickens County in a wooded area on Hendrix Bridge Road. He was found the next day by berry pickers. His gun, badge, and shirt were missing. The murder investigation would later reveal that the suspect killed him because he wanted his gun and badge. The suspect was arrested in Gate City, Virginia, two days later. His wife, 23, was arrested in Greenville and charged with accessory to murder. The 24-year-old man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life.