The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX

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November 11, 2009

TDCJ murder trial begins today

By Matthew Jackson

After two delays, the murder trial of a TDCJ offender accused of killing a corrections officer during an escape begins today at the Leon County Courthouse in Centerville.

The trial of Jerry Duane Martin starts with opening statements and first witnesses at 9 a.m. today.

The trial was originally set to begin Monday, but was postponed due to a juror’s family member having a medical procedure.

The seven-woman, five-man jury was set on Nov. 4 after a selection process that lasted several weeks.

Martin will be tried for capital murder in the death of TDCJ corrections officer Susan Canfield, who was killed when Martin and fellow offender John Ray Falk Jr. escaped from the TDCJ Wynne Unit in September 2007.

During their escape, Martin and Falk stole a truck from the City Service Center and were attempting to escape in it when they struck Canfield, who was on horseback. She was killed when the impact of the collision caused her to fall from her horse and strike both the truck and the pavement.

Falk’s trial date has not been set.

Martin’s charge was upgraded to capital murder due to provisions in the Texas Penal Code that allows murders to be upgraded if they occur during an attempted escape.

Walker County District Attorney David Weeks will prosecute the case with Jack Choate and Stephanie Stroud.

Martin’s court-appointed attorneys in the case are William Carter, Paxton Adams and Hope Knight.

The case will be tried by State District Court Judge Kenneth H. Keeling of the 278th Judicial District.

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