Brandon Martin: Ex-Rays prospect convicted of fatal 'triple' murder with baseball bat

Former Tampa Bay Rays prospect Brandon Martin has been found guilty of a triple murder. On September 15, 2015, Martin, 27, used a baseball bat to fatally bash his father Michael Martin, 64; Michael's brother-in-law, Ricky Lee Anderson, 51; and a bystander, Barry Swanson; 62. Martin attacked the trio in Michael's home in 1000 block of Winthrop Drive in Corona, California. 

On Wednesday, a Riverside jury convicted Brandon Martin on charges of three counts of first-degree murder. Martin has also been charged with one count each of auto theft, evading arrest, obstructing a police officer and injuring a police K-9. The 27-year-old will reportedly be tried at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Monday to determine the penalty for his offences.

According to Patch, the prosecutors will be seeking capital punishment (death penalty) for the former MLB minor league player. Currently, Martin has been held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, Cal.

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Brandon Martin triple murder

Two days prior to the day of the murder, i.e. September 15, Martin was admitted to the county Department of Mental Health's emergency treatment facility after experiencing undisclosed psychiatric issues. Reports state he was admitted after he made threats against his disabled father. Released from the facility on Sep. 17, Martin headed straight to his father's house, who at the time was with Anderson and Swanson at the place. 

Brandon Martin grabbed a baseball bat and attacked all three men, with Michael and Barry dying at the scene. Ricky Lee Anderson remained in a coma for a couple of days before succumbing to his injuries. Brandon fled from the scene using Swanson's truck, with a bloodied bat, engraved with Martin’s name, reportedly left at the scene. After multiple close-calls with Corona police officers, he was finally arrested near Foothill Elementary School after an intense struggle with a K-9 officer and his dog, a day later.

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Brandon Martin baseball career

Brandon Martin graduated from Santiago High School in 2011, playing baseball as a shortstop. That year, he was drafted by the Rays, who selected him in the first round (38th overall pick). Per reports, Martin even received an $860,000 signing bonus. LA Times reported that, at the time, Martin's abilities were even compared to baseball legend Derek Jeter. While a Brandon Martin MLB debut never became a reality, he did play three seasons for the Rays' minor league team. He was released in March 2015. 

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(Image Credits: MLB)