Bonne Terre Man Arrested in Cold Case

A 69-year-old Bonne Terre man has been arrested in connection with the death of Jimmie Wade Martin nearly 35 years ago. Wesley P. Marler was arrested on August 30 and booked into the St.

Francois County Jail on a $500,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in a St. Francois County courtroom on Wednesday, September 4.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Marler was arrested after a St. Francois County Grand Jury indicted him on August 22 on one count of assault in the first degree in connection with Martin’s death. Martin died after he was hit in the head and was found outside a home on October 14, 1989.

He was rushed to a Farmington hospital where he later died. An investigation into Martin’s death began soon after.

Bonne Terre man arrested

Martin’s family revealed in a 2007 interview that an autopsy showed he was hit on the head with a two-by-four, which led to his death. The St. Francois County Sheriff also stated in 2007 that they had two possible suspects, but the case didn’t progress much further at that time.

Renewed efforts to solve the case came in December 2020, when members of the MSHP Division of Drug and Crime Control, along with the St. Francois Sheriff’s Office, reviewed the investigation. MSHP described it as an exhaustive investigation.

The findings were then presented to the St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and ultimately a St. Francois County Grand Jury.

This renewed effort has finally led to Marler’s arrest, offering some hope for justice in the long-standing cold case. Marler is due to make his court appearance on Wednesday. The case has drawn attention in the local community as people hope for a resolution after nearly three and a half decades.