Without a written order, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected an appeal from a 31-year-old Mission man convicted of a 2012 double homicide that is a suspected cartel hit over a drug debt.
Juan Carlos Martinez, 31, is serving a 40-year prison sentence for killing Castos de los Santos and Ramiro Rodriguez on Nov. 18, 2012, in the 3000 block of 5 Mile Line in Alton.
A total of five people were shot when Martinez and other gunmen burst into the residence and opened fire on a family as they were eating dinner.
Two boys, who were 12 and 13 at the time, were also shot, in addition to another family member, according to newspaper archives.
Martinez, however, wouldn’t face justice until 2014. The year before, he had been arrested in Starr County, and after his arrest, DNA ended up linking him to the case.
Other evidence used to tie Martinez to the double homicide was found in a burned red SUV that was abandoned where investigators found handguns, masks and gloves.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice records indicate Martinez is projected for release in 2054 and will be eligible for parole in 2034.
