Haven't seen much here on this one but the suspect was captured and got life.

http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=8616

I hope the scum never gets parole. Cop-killers deserve to never be released, IMO.

I hope the scum never gets parole. Cop-killers deserve to never be released, IMO.

I agree with you 100 percent!

My understanding is that David Wayne Mills was sentenced to life in prison for the murder. But if he is eligible for parole at some point in the future, then let's hope that it only happens posthumously.

I agree with you 100 percent!

My understanding is that David Wayne Mills was sentenced to life in prison for the murder. But if he is eligible for parole at some point in the future, then let's hope that it only happens posthumously.

I'm surprised he didn't get death for it. VA usually has no qualms about sending killers to Death Row.

Wow... there's that middle name 'Wayne' again...

Well it was late 1980's. It was probably because he had a friend that was with him in the car or something and so there was like a .01 percent doubt that he did it so they gave him life. I believe Mills became eligible for parole this year actually. I looked him up and saw an ad of his on a prison pen pal site. He is looking for love apperantly. Mills is now 42 years old.

He is looking for love apperantly.

Oh, how sweet! :rolleyes:

Guess he isn't too fond of the pickins in the joint. :lol:

The thing I don't get about this case is it was BEYOND SENSELESS. According to the UM segment, David Wayne Mills wasn't even pulled over by Sgt. Martin for some infraction but was parked in an abandoned parking lot when Martin approached him to question him.

Although I believe the UM segment is leaving something out as to why Martin approached Mills in the first place, it seems that Mills just shot Martin for simply approaching his vehicle. Its so senseless.

Damm should have been charged with capital murder.

I live only a couple of hours away from where this happened, have worked in this area as well. Wasn't this killer from Indiana or something? What I can't figure out is what he was doing in that area in the first place?

Lee County Virginia is not somewhere where you just pass through, the closest interstate highway is about two hours away. There has to be more to the case than they are telling.

I live only a couple of hours away from where this happened, have worked in this area as well. Wasn't this killer from Indiana or something? What I can't figure out is what he was doing in that area in the first place?

Lee County Virginia is not somewhere where you just pass through, the closest interstate highway is about two hours away. There has to be more to the case than they are telling.

I live only a couple of hours away from where this happened, have worked in this area as well. Wasn't this killer from Indiana or something? What I can't figure out is what he was doing in that area in the first place?

According to the segment, John Lee Martin said the license plate of the car read "Land of Lincoln", which is a nickname for Illinois.

As for what Mills was doing in the area, he must have some connection to it. Maybe he had friends or relatives living there and he drove there for a visit.

According to the segment, John Lee Martin said the license plate of the car read "Land of Lincoln", which is a nickname for Illinois.

As for what Mills was doing in the area, he must have some connection to it. Maybe he had friends or relatives living there and he drove there for a visit.

Yes I can see that, but its strange for someone visiting relatives to end up in an abandoned parking lot in the middle of the night where he ends up shooting a cop, something just doesn't fit there.

According to the segment, John Lee Martin said the license plate of the car read "Land of Lincoln", which is a nickname for Illinois.

As for what Mills was doing in the area, he must have some connection to it. Maybe he had friends or relatives living there and he drove there for a visit.

Yes I can see that, but its strange for someone visiting relatives to end up in an abandoned parking lot in the middle of the night where he ends up shooting a cop, something just doesn't fit there.

Yes I can see that, but its strange for someone visiting relatives to end up in an abandoned parking lot in the middle of the night where he ends up shooting a cop, something just doesn't fit there.

Actually, nearly those exact circumstances led to the 1988 murder of Gretchen Burford, the attorney from Palo Alto. Her killer, Tyrone Hamel, was a resident of Texas. He was only in California for the funeral of a family friend during the time that he decided to rob and subsequently kill Gretchen, whom he did not know prior to the incident. She was chosen at random. I figure the John Martin case was probably something quite similar. Perhaps Mills was literally looking for trouble, just as Hamel was.

Actually, nearly those exact circumstances led to the 1988 murder of Gretchen Burford, the attorney from Palo Alto. Her killer, Tyrone Hamel, was a resident of Texas. He was only in California for the funeral of a family friend during the time that he decided to rob and subsequently kill Gretchen, whom he did not know prior to the incident. She was chosen at random. I figure the John Martin case was probably something quite similar. Perhaps Mills was literally looking for trouble, just as Hamel was.

That is possible.

I am from the town where this happened, Mills wasn't sitting in an abandoned parking lot it was the parking lot of a clinic that had a pharmacy. Also his grandfather lived in that town thats who he was visiting.

According to the segment, John Lee Martin said the license plate of the car read "Land of Lincoln", which is a nickname for Illinois.

As for what Mills was doing in the area, he must have some connection to it. Maybe he had friends or relatives living there and he drove there for a visit.

He was captured in Effingham, IL. Another somewhat random place (although I-70 & I-57 do cross there).

Well, my guess is, Mills was charged with Capital Murder, but I am guessing was pled out for a life sentence. Under Virginia law, you can be charged with Capital Murder and convicted of it and not necessarily get the death penalty. Either that or unless the jury couldn't agree on the punishment which is possible but unlikely. If they could not agree on a punishment than he would automatically get life in prison, which at that time included parole eligibility at some point. Parole was abolished in Virginia in 1995 but that only applies to crimes committed in 1995 or later.

Does anyone know the motive behind his murder? Did the guy have drugs in his car or was he wanted? Makes no sense as to why he would murder Martin simply for pulling him over.

If anyone is interested David Wayne Mills is still in prison (obviously) and he is being held in the Buckingham Correctional Facility in Virginia.

Does anyone know the motive behind his murder? Did the guy have drugs in his car or was he wanted? Makes no sense as to why he would murder Martin simply for pulling him over.

Just watched this one. The killer, David Wayne Mills, and his accomplices were hanging out in the parking lot of a rural clinic/pharmacy past midnight. My best guess is they were planning a burglary for meds. Or maybe they were high on drugs at that moment.

Just watched this one. The killer, David Wayne Mills, and his accomplices were hanging out in the parking lot of a rural clinic/pharmacy past midnight. My best guess is they were planning a burglary for meds. Or maybe they were high on drugs at that moment.

I live about an hour and a half from Lee County, VA. Like many rural places here in the U.S., narcotics theft and illegal sales is a pretty big problem there today, so I could see this being a real possibility.

Just watched this one. The killer, David Wayne Mills, and his accomplices were hanging out in the parking lot of a rural clinic/pharmacy past midnight. My best guess is they were planning a burglary for meds. Or maybe they were high on drugs at that moment.

The segment doesn't mention any accomplices. Where did you see/read that he was not alone?

The segment doesn't mention any accomplices. Where did you see/read that he was not alone?

It is from the update about Mills' arrest. The update was a part of the original segment, so I'm guessing this was one of those rare instances where the case was solved between production and broadcast.

Anyway, in the update, Stack says that Mills told the police he was in the car with others when Martin was shot, but that he personally did not do the shooting. He named the shooter, and Stack says the police did question this person, but he wasn't charged.

Admittedly, I didn't give it much thought, but I wonder if Mills actually was alone and just claimed others were there in an attempt to shift the blame to someone else. I know he was eventually convicted and sentenced to prison, but I'm not aware of anyone else being charged in connection with the crime.

It is from the update about Mills' arrest. The update was a part of the original segment, so I'm guessing this was one of those rare instances where the case was solved between production and broadcast.

Anyway, in the update, Stack says that Mills told the police he was in the car with others when Martin was shot, but that he personally did not do the shooting. He named the shooter, and Stack says the police did question this person, but he wasn't charged.

Admittedly, I didn't give it much thought, but I wonder if Mills actually was alone and just claimed others were there in an attempt to shift the blame to someone else. I know he was eventually convicted and sentenced to prison, but I'm not aware of anyone else being charged in connection with the crime.

Yea, I saw that. I just figured it was yet another example of a suspect trying to blame the Invisible Man.

I've been watching Unsolved Mysteries on Amazon and lurking here for a while now. There's always a good thread on the stories that interest me. I was looking around to see why Mills may have panicked when a cop approached him. Seems like he may have been planning to rob the pharmacy.

"Mills was convicted by jury trial of first degree murder, attempted burglary, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony as a principal in the second degree. "

I got that from this site https://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2006/07/23/john-lee-martin-murder-11788/ Which also states how they found him and why they knew it was probably him.

He's been regularly applying for parole since 2010 and being denied due to the serious nature of the crimes. Seems he's also in for forgery as well.

Interesting comments from the parole board at various hearings:
-Extensive criminal record
-History of violence.
-Serious nature and circumstances of your offense(s).
-You need to show a longer period of stable adjustment

Many of the previous decisions also said "Your prior failure(s) and/or convictions while under community supervision indicate that you are unlikely to comply with conditions of release."

I've been watching Unsolved Mysteries on Amazon and lurking here for a while now. There's always a good thread on the stories that interest me. I was looking around to see why Mills may have panicked when a cop approached him. Seems like he may have been planning to rob the pharmacy.

"Mills was convicted by jury trial of first degree murder, attempted burglary, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony as a principal in the second degree. "

I got that from this site https://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2006/07/23/john-lee-martin-murder-11788/ Which also states how they found him and why they knew it was probably him.

He's been regularly applying for parole since 2010 and being denied due to the serious nature of the crimes. Seems he's also in for forgery as well.

Interesting comments from the parole board at various hearings:
-Extensive criminal record
-History of violence.
-Serious nature and circumstances of your offense(s).
-You need to show a longer period of stable adjustment

Many of the previous decisions also said "Your prior failure(s) and/or convictions while under community supervision indicate that you are unlikely to comply with conditions of release."

Welcome! I love it when the lurkers come out and play! :) :wave:

Yes Mills is in his 50's now, still in prison and serving a life sentence currently at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Virginia which is in Buckingham County, Virginia in Central Virginia. I don't see Mills ever getting out.

I read a fairly recent article about this case that mentioned that Martin was first taken to a hospital in Middlesboro, KY (about 20 miles away from Ewing, VA, where Martin was shot), then transferred to a trauma center. It was the hospital I work at, and it is also where he passed away.

It kind of conjured up a sense of this being a real person, instead of someone in a UM segment. People I know and work with today in all likelihood could have cared for him during those three days. He was probably operated on in one of the rooms I'm in and out of almost daily.

I plan on making a drive to Ewing soon, and I'll post some pictures of the clinic here afterward if anyone's interested.

I read a fairly recent article about this case that mentioned that Martin was first taken to a hospital in Middlesboro, KY (about 20 miles away from Ewing, VA, where Martin was shot), then transferred to a trauma center. It was the hospital I work at, and it is also where he passed away.

It kind of conjured up a sense of this being a real person, instead of someone in a UM segment. People I know and work with today in all likelihood could have cared for him during those three days. He was probably operated on in one of the rooms I'm in and out of almost daily.

I plan on making a drive to Ewing soon, and I'll post some pictures of the clinic here afterward if anyone's interested.

Wow that's kind of crazy! First off, you are always all over the grid, I like it! Second, I agree, once you are at the location, it becomes a real tragedy and not just a story we study relentlessly. I would definitely be interested in seeing some images of the locations from this. I tried street viewing, but could never find the clinic.

Wow that's kind of crazy! First off, you are always all over the grid, I like it!

Thanks :lol:

Second, I agree, once you are at the location, it becomes a real tragedy and not just a story we study relentlessly. I would definitely be interested in seeing some images of the locations from this. I tried street viewing, but could never find the clinic.

I wish he would've been immediately flown to us instead of making that stop in KY. He didn't get to Knoxville until about 8:15 that morning; he was shot around 3:00 AM. I don't know what injuries he ultimately sustained from the gunshot wounds, and not questioning at all the quality of care he received in Middlesboro, but that facility wasn't and isn't a Level 1 trauma center.

The clinic is visible on Google Maps, but it's back and up and hill from the road. There's a long driveway up that hill, and it was halfway down that drive Martin stopped Mills as the latter was trying to evade the officer. By all appearances, the town looks microscopic. It's no wonder Martin went to investigate; I figure there shouldn't have been a soul out and about that early in the morning in Ewing.

I've never realized just how big the state of Virginia is until seeing that he was taken to a hospital in Kentucky.