NRA HELPS FIGHT PAROLE: MAN MURDERED IN NEW MADRID

BENTON -- A Benton woman has teamed up with the National Rifle Association in an effort to stop the parole of the woman she says is responsible for killing her brother.

Jayme Martindale Kolwyck of Benton approached members of the NRA in May and asked them to help her mount a petition drive and letter-writing campaign to stop the parole of the woman who was convicted in the death of Kolwyck's brother, Randy Martindale, in New Madrid in 1994.

The woman responsible is Stacy Martindale, Kolwyck's former sister-in-law and Randy Martindale's widow. A jury convicted her in 1995 of second-degree murder for plotting and paying for the killing of her husband.

Keep Killers In Prison -- a part of CrimeStrike, the criminal justice reform branch of the NRA -- has been working with Kolwyck and her family in circulating petitions throughout Missouri to try to keep Stacy Martindale in prison and off parole.

"The general public is often shocked at how soon a convicted murderer is eligible for parole," said Joanne Piper, project coordinator for Keep Killers In Prison.

Stacy Martindale is serving a 15-year sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for Women. She is scheduled for a parole hearing on Sept. 11. If parole is granted, she could be released from prison next summer after spending five years behind bars.

"She should have been convicted of first-degree murder and should be facing the death penalty," said Kolwyck.

She plans to attend next week's parole hearing along with her mother, her sister, her husband and Randy Martindale's 20-year-old daughter, Stacy Martindale's stepdaughter. They all plan to speak at the parole hearing in opposition to Stacy Martindale's release.

"Four years is not long enough for killing somebody. For that matter, 15 years isn't long enough," Kolwyck said.

Missouri's truth-in-sentencing law requires that anyone convicted of murder serve at least 85 percent of their sentence in prison. The law went into effect in August 1994. If she were convicted of murder today and sentenced to 15 years in prison, she would be required to serve at least 12 years and nine months behind bars.

But because she was arrested for the murder before Missouri's truth-in-sentencing law went into effect, Stacy Martindale is eligible for parole after serving one third of her sentence. Although she was not convicted until October 1995, she was arrested in July 1994 and was given credit for time served, thus making her eligible for parole in 1999.

New Madrid County Prosecuting Attorney Riley Bock, who tried the case, said: "I think she ought to serve 85 percent. Clearly this is a case where that law ought to apply."

He said Stacy Martindale has shown no remorse for the death of her husband and has continued to remain silent about the murder.

"Her only regret is that she got caught," he said.

New Madrid County prosecutors had charged that Stacy Martindale had plotted with her boyfriend, Charles Sanders, and his best friend, Richard Clay, to murder her estranged husband, Randy Martindale. Stacy Martindale had reportedly paid Clay $10,000 to kill her husband.

On May 19, 1994, Stacy Martindale invited her husband to spend the night with her. When the two were in the bedroom, Clay jumped out of a closet and shot Randy Martindale several times in the neck and chest.

The trials of both Clay and Stacy Martindale were moved out of New Madrid County on changes of venue. Clay was convicted in July 1995 of first-degree murder in a Callaway County courtroom. He is on death row at Potosi.

Prosecutors had charged Stacy Martindale with first-degree murder because she plotted and paid for the killing. They were seeking the death penalty for her as well, but the Perry County jury convicted her of second-degree murder.

"If she had been an ugly, burly man, she would've got the death penalty," said Bock.

She was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the trial judge, John Grimm of Cape Girardeau.

Kolwyck contacted the NRA in May when the prospect of Stacy Martindale's parole hearing came up. The petition drive and letter-writing campaign to stop the parole began at the beginning of last month.

"We're asking NRA members to write letters and gather signatures on petitions to try to block paroles of convicted killers," said project coordinator Piper.

Normally, the campaign will result in 2,000 signatures on petitions. Thus far Piper estimates 1,500 names have been collected with a number of petitions still out.

The petition drive is scheduled to end next Tuesday in time for Kolwyck to get the petitions and take them with her to Stacy Martindale's parole hearing.

Piper said the project has helped families in 25 states block the paroles of 71 convicted people convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter. In only two cases has the project been unsuccessful in blocking a parole, Piper said.