Pictured are the victims, left to right, parents Dara Martin and Jacob Martin, Sr., and sister Aleah Martin.
This story is an update on Wed Feb 4, 2026 from the original on 4 p.m. Sat Feb 10, 2024
A Saline County teen pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for the 2024 shooting deaths of his parents and sister in a case that prosecutors described as “complex” and “tragic.”
Jacob Aaron Martin, Jr., 17, was sentenced on February 3, 2026, to 40 years in prison followed by a period of post-release supervision, according to Prosecuting Attorney Chris Walton. Martin pleaded guilty to the shooting deaths of his parents, Jacob Martin Sr. and Dara Martin, and his sister, Aleah Martin.
Read more below.
The killings occurred on Feb. 10, 2024, at a residence at 5220 Pryor Drive, which is just inside the Saline County border, in the Glen Rose community. According to investigators, firefighters from the Turtle Creek and Haskell fire departments and deputies with the Saline County Sheriff’s Department responded to the home after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor. The caller reported that Martin had run to his home saying the residence was on fire.
The Martin home was located just inside Saline County, at 5220 Pryor Drive, with a Malvern, Arkansas address.
Firefighters entered the home to search for occupants and extinguish the fire. As the investigation unfolded, authorities determined that Martin had shot all three victims, poured gasoline on two of the bodies and started a fire inside the home in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Officials said the fire extinguished itself, and the quick response by firefighters allowed law enforcement to collect evidence linking Martin to the homicides in a short timeframe.
Martin was 15 years old at the time of the killings and was charged as an adult. He has remained incarcerated since the day of the homicides.
Walton said cases involving juveniles charged as adults present additional legal complexities.
“Anytime you have a juvenile charged as an adult with such violent crimes, the judicial process automatically becomes more complex to navigate,” Walton said. “The law affords juveniles, even when they are charged as adults, certain procedural safeguards. Juveniles cannot receive life without parole, nor can they receive the death penalty.”
Walton said family members of the victims were closely involved throughout the case and attended the sentencing, with some addressing the court.
“Their input was absolutely crucial for the end result of this case,” Walton said. “This sentence will never merit the justice deserved for such a vicious and senseless act. We feel enormous compassion for this family.”
A spokesperson for the family said the guilty plea allows them to begin the healing process.
“We are grateful that today’s guilty plea brings a measure of accountability for the tragic loss of Jacob, Dara and Aleah Martin,” the statement read. “While no outcome can ever restore what was taken from our family, this decision spares us the additional pain of a lengthy trial and allows us to begin focusing on healing.”
The family also thanked investigators, prosecutors, first responders and community members for their support and asked for continued privacy.
Walton expressed appreciation for the Saline County Sheriff’s Department, the Turtle Creek Fire Department and the Haskell Fire Department for their work on the case. He also offered condolences to the victims’ extended family, the Glen Rose School District, The Church in Malvern, and the victims’ friends and coworkers.
“This is a tragic case for many reasons,” Walton said. “There are victims who had so much life to live, and there is also a teenage boy who will spend the bulk of his life inside a prison cell. That is also a tragedy.”
Martin was represented by Colleen Kordmeier, Jonathan Camp, Emily Reynolds and Brittney Bond. The state was represented by Walton, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carrie Robertson, and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jayme Butts-Hall. The case was presided by 22nd Circuit Judge Ken Casady of Division 1. Judge Casady also handed down the prison sentence.
This story is an update from the original story from February 10, 2024.
