ID is re-airing The Murder Tapes’ investigation into the murder of Christopher Hoefling, who was shot dead by Earl Bernard Martin during a drug deal in Evansville, Indiana.
In December 2017, Martin asked his coworker, Jalil Fellows, if he knew someone he could rob, and the latter responded by giving him the phone number of his marijuana dealer, Brandon Waldroup.
Martin then arranged to buy a half-pound of marijuana from Waldroup in the parking lot of a sports bar. Waldroup was accompanied to the rendezvous point by his friend, 20-year-old Hoefling.
Waldroup and Hoefling were sitting in their car when Martin shot them both. The gunman then dragged Waldroup out of the driver’s seat and drove off with Hoefling still in the passenger seat.
The car was found the next day with Hoefling’s remains still inside; an autopsy revealed he was shot four times in the back.
Waldroup had been shot in the neck, but he was transported to a nearby hospital and ultimately survived the attack.
Evidence started building up against Earl Martin in Christopher Hoefling murder
After the shooting, Martin contacted Fellows, telling him it “turned out bad” and that he would “see it on the news.”
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe cops searched through Waldroups’s phone and found contact details for Martin and Fellows. The investigators obtained a search warrant for Martin’s mother’s home, where they found the murder weapon.
Martin was eventually found guilty of charges including murder, attempted murder, and robbery, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The killer was sentenced to 135 years in total, which included 65 years for murder and 40 years for attempted murder, plus a number of sentence enhancements. He is required to serve at least 75 percent of the sentence.
When announcing the punishment, Circuit Court Judge David Kiely said, “The court has fashioned this sentence with the idea that Mr. Martin is never to leave the Department of Corrections.”
Earl Martin accomplice Jalil Fellows also charged in connection with Christopher Hoefling killing
Martin’s accomplice, Jalil Fellows, was initially also charged with Hoefling’s murder; however, the charge was dropped when he agreed to plead guilty to robbery. He was sentenced to five years.
After Martin was arrested, the dismembered remains of his former girlfriend, Erica Bradfield, were found in trash bags stored behind his home and at a neighbor’s house. Martin was initially charged with her murder, but after his conviction in the Hoefling case, these charges were dropped.
This episode of The Murder Tapes re-airs Tuesday at 7/6c on Investigation Discovery.