Suspect in fatal Parma holdup waives preliminary hearing

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- A man accused of the murder of a Parma, Missouri, woman has waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Deion Martin, 21, who is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action, was in court Thursday afternoon with his attorneys, Beth Ann Davis-Kerry and Robert E. Steele of the public defender's office. The attorneys informed New Madrid County Associate Judge Joshua Underwood the scheduled hearing would not be necessary.

Underwood ordered Martin bound over, setting his arraignment for Sept. 8 in Division I of New Madrid County Circuit Court before Judge Fred Copeland.

Martin is charged in the May 18 shooting death of Brenda Smith during a robbery at the D and L One Stop in Parma.

Family and friends of Smith filled four long wooden benches in the courtroom, many of them wearing white T-shirts with a heart-shaped emblem featuring the victim's face and the words "Justice for Brenda."

Martin is accused of following Smith and another employee into the building as they opened it for business. Martin, armed with a .22 caliber revolver, demanded Smith open the safe, and when Smith was unable to open the safe quickly enough, he shot her in the head, according to a probable-cause statement.

Martin ordered the other employee to give him some lottery tickets before fleeing. Law-enforcement officers were able to identify him as the suspect when he attempted to cash in one of the lottery tickets at two businesses in Stoddard County. Martin was arrested May 24 in St. Louis.

New Madrid County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Lawson said he was surprised by Martin's decision to forgo a preliminary hearing. He said the prosecution was ready to present evidence at the hearing linking Martin to the crime, including testimony by several law-enforcement officers and the other clerk.

"I know for the family it was going to be a hard day for them to hear the evidence and from the eyewitness," said Lawson about the preliminary hearing.

Now, he said, that evidence will wait for Martin's trial.

In June, Lawson filed notice he will seek the death penalty for Martin.