Michael James Martinez was found murdered in Vinita on November 22, 1977. He was seven years old.
The last known sighting of Michael was as he rode his bike to a convenience store that was only about two blocks away from where his body would be found. Not to mention, he was only two blocks from home when he was found. He was found around one a.m. by a railroad conductor after he thought he saw a body on the tracks, though the train didn’t stop in time and ran over Michael. The medical examiner would determine, though, that Michael had been dead before being hit by the train. He had been stabbed thirty-eight times before someone placed his fully clothed body on the railroad tracks.
Michael had last been seen at approximately 9:30 pm the evening before he was found, however when he failed to return home by 10:00 pm, his absence began to be noticed, but it doesn’t appear his family was immediately concerned. Apparently, it was commonplace for Michael to go to his older sister’s house that was nearby, and the family simply believed that was where he was. After Michael was found, the town of Vinita was in a frenzy, absolutely astonished something like this could happen there.
A pocketknife was eventually found by a passerby alongside the railroad tracks where Michael’s body had been found. The medical examiner would say that the knife was consistent with Michael’s wounds, but stopped short of saying it was THE knife. His bike was later found hidden in some tall weeds several blocks away from where Michael was found.
According to media reports, upwards of fifteen people were polygraphed in the case, eventually though, authorities would arrest nineteen-year-old Gary Leroy Whisler. Though the arrest did anything but end rumors and doubt surrounding the case. According to one OSBI agent, Whisler confessed to the crime. It further came out at trial that Michael had alcohol and toluene in his system when he died. Toluene is a chemical that is found in spray paints. A can of gold spray paint was found about fifty feet from his body, though that probably doesn’t mean much since the area he was found was apparently a local party spot.
After two trials, one a hung jury, Whisler was acquitted of having committed Michael’s murder. No one else has ever been charged.
If you have any information regarding the murder of Michael James Martinez, please contact the OSBI at 800-522-8017.