An Iowa woman’s final moments were allegedly witnessed by the last person anyone would expect: her mother-in-law.
New details are emerging in the shocking murder case against 47-year-old James Martin, who is accused of killing his wife, 41-year-old Amber Martin, inside their Coralville, Iowa, apartment.
Martin has been charged with first-degree murder and has been sitting in the Johnson County Jail since January on a $1 million bond.
According to investigators, this was not a sudden act of rage. Detectives say Martin spent the hours before the killing coming up with a plan to murder his wife.
In a criminal complaint, investigators said Martin retrieved a kitchen knife, waited for Amber to come out of another room, then allegedly surprised her and stabbed her repeatedly.
Police were called to the apartment on Spring Rose Circle around 6:40 a.m. on Jan. 16 after reports of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they found Amber suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Now, new details have made the case even more horrifying.
According to local reports, Martin’s own mother told police she was inside the apartment when the attack happened.
She reportedly told investigators she had gone to the apartment around 1 a.m. because her son’s mental health was spiraling. She said she fell asleep on the couch, then later woke up after hearing noises coming from the laundry room.
At first, she thought it was the family cat.
Then she heard the words, “Help, help me.”
When she went to check, she allegedly saw her son stabbing Amber in the dark.
According to reports, Martin’s mother rushed in and begged him to stop. After the attack ended, she could not find her phone and asked him to call police.
When officers entered the apartment, they reportedly found a bloody knife in the kitchen sink, along with blood smears and bloody clothing inside the home. Investigators say Martin admitted to killing his wife.
As detectives worked to figure out why, they say Martin gave a chilling explanation. According to investigators, he claimed he stabbed Amber to “put her out of her misery” because he believed they were facing financial problems they could not recover from.
Amber’s death sent shockwaves through the community. She worked as a medical laboratory scientist supervisor for University of Iowa Health Care, and her boss described her as sweet, smart, and someone with an amazing personality.