A Chicago man was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted
of the murder of a federal informant.
Spencer Martin, 35, had been convicted by a jury last month of the killing of
Earl Willis, who had been serving as a federal informant.
Martin was sentenced on Thursday during a court hearing at the George
Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago.
Willis' body was found on May 12, 2006 in his vehicle near 72nd Street and
Indiana Avenue. He had last been seen on February 4, 2006 and was reported
missing two days later.
When his body was found, officials determined that he had sustained multiple
gunshot wounds.
Officials determined that Willis had been shot by the same gun as two earlier
shootings that had also been committed by Martin.
The first shooting happened on Jan. 14, 2006 near 68th Street and Ashland
Avenue and wounded two people who did not know Martin.
Firearms evidence collected from that scene was later matched to the same gun
which Martin used in a shooting on Feb. 4, 2006. That shooting happened at a gas
station in the 700 block of West Lawrence Avenue and was captured on videotape.
Willis was driving his van and was with Martin. A video showed
Martin getting out of the van and trying to rob then shooting a victim.
Martin and Willis then fled the area in the van and the victim, who survived
later identified both Martin and Willis from photos.
According to prosecutors this was the last time Willis was seen alive.
Firearm evidence from the gas station linked the gun used in that shooting to
the January shooting near 68th Street and Ashland Avenue. The
victims of that shooting picked out Martin as the triggerman.
Willis' body was later found in his van on the 7200 block of South Indiana
Avenue. Firearms evidence linked Wills' fatal shooting to the
previous shootings. Investigators also found an open bottle of liquor which had
Martin's DNA in a pocket of a coat used to cover Willis' remains.
On Thursday Cook County Judge Steven Goebel sentenced Martin to natural life
plus 60 years in prison.
Martin had previously been convicted of attempted murder and armed robbery
and received 24 years in prison for the shooting on the 700 block of West
Lawrence. He also had been convicted and sentenced to 110 years in prison for
the shootings near 68th and Ashland
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