A hitman confessed to 30 killings. Jose Martinez, of California, was arrested for the murder of his business partner Jose Ruiz in March. While in custody, Martinez coldly confessed to killing at least 30 other people throughout the US.
The confession was almost surreal. Authorities in Alabama were unsure whether Martinez was a pathological liar or a sociopath. Most striking was his complete lack of emotion as the hitman confessed to killing 30 people.
As reported by Policy Mic , one of the sheriffs pointed out that “killing people doesn’t seem to affect him.”
A cigarette butt left at a 2006 crime scene led to Martinez’s initial arrest. Authorities in Oscala, Florida, identified Martinez as a suspect in a double-homicide using DNA collected from the cigarette butt.
In the midst of their investigation, Oscala authorities learned that Martinez was wanted by authorities in Alabama.
On Wednesday, Martinez was arrested in Arizona and extradited to Alabama. As reported by WPTV , Martinez openly confessed to killing Ruiz and numerous others.
Along with his confession, Martinez openly admitted that he was working for one or more drug cartels in Mexico. He stated that it was his job to collect money and kill those who did not pay up. The confessed hitman killed 30 people over drug money.
Authorities in several states used Martinez’s confession to compare with unsolved homicide files. Authorities have verified Martinez’s involvement in at least 13 unsolved murders. His DNA and confessions implicated him in the 2006 Florida case as well as the murder of Ruiz in Alabama. A total of 16 people have been identified as Martinez’s victims.
Officials continue comparing Martinez’s confession with unsolved cases. They expect to discover more victims in the coming weeks. Martinez remains incarcerated in Alabama as authorities are tasked with sorting out the grisly details.
The hitman confessed to 30 killings. His demeanor, and stated occupation bring to mind serial killer Richard Leonard “The Iceman” Kuklinski. The Iceman was arrested in 1986 on five counts of murder. He later confessed to killing over 200 people as part of his job as a hitman. His cold icy eyes, and lack of emotion as he confessed, contributed to the nickname.
[Image via Flickr ]
