Martin Farmer, 44, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a deadly alley shooting in south Fort Worth in late May 2024.
Prosecutors, Investigators Credited After Conviction
According to a post by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, jurors convicted Farmer of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a judge followed with a 55-year prison sentence. The office credited Assistant District Attorneys Jim Zaleta and Jessica Brewer as lead prosecutors and highlighted the work of investigators Erin Merritt and Bradley Gantt, along with victim coordinator Cecilia Jones.
The shooting unfolded in the early hours of May 28, 2024, when South Division officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of Hemphill Street for reports of gunfire. Officers found a man with multiple gunshot wounds in the 600 block of Anthony Street, where he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a Fort Worth Police Department news release. Detectives opened a homicide investigation that was later turned over to the district attorney’s office.
Police arrested Farmer on June 3, 2024, and prosecutors charged him with murder in the death of Edward Rodriguez, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Court records cited by the paper show Farmer had prior convictions, including an aggravated robbery conviction in 2004 and an aggravated assault conviction in 2000.
The district attorney’s Facebook post stated that prosecutors presented evidence that Farmer shot the victim multiple times and reiterated that the victim died at the scene. The office closed its message by thanking Fort Worth police, writing, "Thanks to the Fort Worth Police Department for their work on this case and their commitment to keeping our community safe."
Legal Notes
Under Texas law, murder is a first-degree felony that carries a potential sentence of between five and 99 years in prison or life, according to the Texas Penal Code. Farmer’s 55-year term falls squarely within that range.
