FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 20, 2008
TRAVIS LEE MARTIN SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings, on March 19, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, TRAVIS LEE MARTIN, a 20-year-old resident of Hardin, appeared for sentencing. MARTIN was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 36 months
- Special Assessment: $200
- Supervised Release: 3 years
MARTIN was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On March 8, 2006, at approximately 5:00 p.m., a 1998 Dodge pickup truck, driven by MARTIN, crashed on Pryor Road, one mile west of U.S. Highway 87, within the boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation.
In addition to MARTIN, there were six passengers in the truck. Two of the passengers were ejected and died as a result of the accident. The investigation, which was conducted by the Montana Highway Patrol, federal law enforcement, and tribal law enforcement, included an accident reconstruction, numerous photographs and video tape, evidence collection, and witness interviews of both surviving passengers and bystanders. The investigation led investigators to conclude that speed and alcohol were the causes of the crash.
Specifically, a driver that MARTIN passed just prior to the crash, and surviving passengers in the truck, reported the speed of MARTIN'S truck to be at least 80 miles per hour at the time of the crash. One surviving passenger estimated the speed to be 90-100 miles per hour before the crash. One passenger reported that they were running out of gas and speeding to a gas station. Another passenger reported that there was an argument, right before the crash, between one of the decedents and MARTIN about driving too fast.
Additionally, there were numerous alcohol containers throughout the truck and around the truck after the crash that were seized by law enforcement. One of the surviving passengers confirmed that MARTIN had been drinking. A blood sample taken from MARTIN two hours after the crash determined his blood alcohol content to be .11.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that MARTIN will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, MARTIN does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Montana Highway Patrol, the Crow Tribal Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
