A judge in Murray County sentenced a former detention officer to five life sentences in prison.
Last month, a jury convicted 29-year-old Kirk Taylor Martin of r*ape, three counts of aggravated se*xual battery, aggravated so*domy, two counts of aggravated a*ssault by str*angulation and aggravated ass*ault with attempt to r*ape.
Officers arrested Martin back in March. His mug*shot featured him shirtless, with several large scratches across his chest.
Martin had been previously fired from working as a detention officer in Murray County for other reasons. But because of that prior employment, Murray County Sheriff Gary Langford turned the case over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to avoid a conflict of interest.
Conasauga Judicial District Attorney Bert Poston says during his trial, prosecutors called a total of 12 witnesses and presented two hundred pieces of evidence. One of those pieces of evidence included a recorded confession from Martin, who admitted to breaking into the victim’s home and sexually ass*aulting her against her will. During the confession Martin also said he found a gun at the scene and contemplated suicide after the incident.
The jury also heard from medical witnesses who described the victims injuries, as well as two new witnesses who came forward after they learned of news reports about Martin’s arrest.
Judge Morris sentenced Martin to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the ra*pe charge plus life in prison on each of the aggravated se*xual battery counts and on the aggravated sodomy count all to run consecutive to each other and consecutive to the ra*pe charge. Martin received an additional 20 years on the aggravated as*sault by strangulation counts to run concurrent to the ra*pe sentence.
Two of Martin’s victims spoke at his sentencing hearing, including the victim from March, and a third, who couldn’t attend, submitted a written statement that was read aloud.
At his sentencing hearing Friday, Superior Court Judge Cindy Morris said t her sentence would insure that Martin never again had the opportunity to abuse another woman.
“We hope the conviction and today’s sentencing will bring closure to all three women,” District Attorney Poston said.
