Defendant enters plea in Mug-Shot slaying

PALMER — Accused murderer John R. Martin entered a guilty plea Tuesday to a reduced count of manslaughter.

Plea agreements in murder cases in Palmer are exceedingly rare. The last time Frontiersman archives record a plea even being offered was in 2006 when Christopher Kevan almost pleaded guilty to murdering his wife and baby. However, in that case, Kevan later withdrew his plea and proceeded to trial.

Martin was arrested in Oct. 5 in Wasilla where, earlier that day, the body of his friend, Russell Metcalf was found in a motor home parked behind the Mug-Shot Saloon in Wasilla.

Martin told police after his arrest that Metcalf had wanted him to go talk to the bar’s owner about letting him park his motor home there. Martin decline and later his friend came up behind him and punched him in the face.

“Martin stated that he was not in any conflict with Metcalf and that they were best friends,” writes Wasilla police officer Daniel Bennett in a court document filed in the case against Martin.

Martin said he blacked out, and when he came to his senses he was standing over Metcalf about to hit him. He left the motor home and when he returned, Metcalf was dead.

Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak confirmed that plea agreements in murder cases are rare.

“You can see from the affidavit filed with the complaint that this is an unusual case,” Kalytiak said, referring to Bennett’s statement. “The victim died of head trauma and was found in a RV/camper behind the Mug-Shot. There are no witnesses to the incident. Martin claims the victim attacked him and that he defended himself using hands and feet. He also said he blacked out during the fight. Martin, who told police that the victim was his best friend.”

In short, Martin would have likely been entitled to a self-defense claim, one he had a pretty good chance of proving at trial.

By pleading to manslaughter he avoids a second-degree murder charge with carries with it a sentence of between 10 and 99 years in prison. But state sentencing guidelines rule out the higher end of that spectrum.

“Case law suggests that the guidelines for a typical non-vehicular Murder 2 should be 20 to 30 years,” Kalytiak said.

Manslaughter, meanwhile, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Kalytiak said that the plea agreement allows for “open sentencing” meaning it will be up to Superior Court Judge Eric Smith to decide whether to go for the 20-year term or something less.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.