Suspect seeks bail reduction

Man accused in Houston home invasion facing multiple charges

March 14, 2006

MARY AMES/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - A man who left the state after he and at least one accomplice allegedly entered the home of a Houston family, demanded money at knifepoint, threw gasoline on a mother and children and tried to strike a match appeared in Palmer Superior Court Friday seeking a reduction in bail and release into his mother's custody.

Matthew Marr, 22, is charged with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted arson, three counts of first-degree attempted robbery, first-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree assault and third-degree criminal mischief. Marr's bail was set at $50,000, cash only.

Houston Police Chief John Ryshek wanted to talk to Marr and Barett Ray, 26, after Ryshek responded to a 911 call Feb. 23 and found a dark-blue Ford Explorer in a ditch en route.

Jeff and Mandy Munholland, their 6-year-old son and 9-month-old baby boy had been attacked by one man with a knife and another with two cans of gasoline early in the morning, while the family was still sleeping. Jeff Munholland fought off the men. The attackers sped away in the Explorer.

Diane Foster, Marr's public defender, asked Judge Beverly Cutler for a bail reduction to $10,000 and release to Jolinda Marr of Anchorage, as a third-party custodian.

When Jolinda Marr was at her job as a delivery driver for Pizza Hut, Foster told the court, Stephanie Martin, 23, the mother of Matthew Marr's child, would take over as third-party custodian.

District Attorney Roman Kalytiak told the court his questions to Martin could affect her right to remain silent in future hearings and he was reluctant, unless Martin had an attorney, to proceed with her.

&#8220She may be indicted,” Kalytiak said. &#8220She was at the scene right after the robbery.”

Cutler explained to Martin that she may want to withdraw and Foster offered to find an attorney from the Office of Public Advocacy for her, but Martin declined.

&#8220I don't think anything I say would be a problem,” Martin said. &#8220I didn't do anything. I'll go without an attorney.”

Under questioning by Kalytiak, Martin said she had been Marr's fiancée for three years, Marr had an Oxycontin problem, &#8220for a while,” but he got clean when they were in Alabama for a week and he is over his addiction. Martin admitted to using Oxycontin also, but only a few times a year.

Martin admitted the Explorer the assailants drove to the house and put in a ditch was hers. She was on the street where the attack took place at 7 a.m. because Ray had called her asking for help getting the Ford out of the ditch, she said. She got the call while she was driving her father's van to Anchorage to look for a job, she said.

Kalytiak asked where she had interviews in Anchorage that morning.

&#8220I was job hunting,” Martin said. &#8220I didn't have interviews set up.”

Judge Cutler said the court had to consider the volatile environment proposed for release, calling it &#8220 a fire box.” She declined release to any third party until the court had additional information, such as drug treatment and mental health evaluations.

&#8220It's a societal issue,” Cutler said. &#8220These are very serious charges.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.