Cody Martin, left, strangled Brandy Odom, right, and dismembered her body for life insurance money, authorities said. (Mug shot: U.S. Department of Justice; image of Odom: a Facebook post in her account, dated Jan. 3, 2018)
Jurors in a Brooklyn federal court on Monday convicted a New York man — who apparently watched a TV show about a serial killer for inspiration — of murdering a woman to collect on life insurance policies.
Cory Martin, 36, faces life in prison at a sentencing hearing set for July 23.
Prosecutors said he and his co-defendant, Adelle Anderson, 35, took out the policies on the life of Brandy Odom, 26. Then he strangled the victim in April 2018, purchased a reciprocating saw, and dismembered her in a bathtub before he, with Anderson’s help, discarded the remains in Canarsie Park.
“It is fitting that Martin faces a mandatory sentence to spend the rest of his life in prison for this ghastly, coldblooded crime that was motivated by greed and executed after extensive planning,” United States Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York said. “Martin saw the victim as a moneymaker, trafficking her for commercial sex, then after killing her with his bare hands, tossing out her slaughtered body parts like trash so he could profit from her death. Brandy Odom suffered an unthinkable death at the defendant’s hands, but her life mattered and I hope that this verdict holding the defendant responsible brings some measure of closure to her family.”
Prosecutors said that Martin acted as the women’s pimp. In March and December 2017, he and Anderson fraudulently took out two life insurance policies in Odom’s name.
At trial, Anderson testified that she and Martin watched the true-crime show “The First 48” and discussed “what not to do, and what things to do to avoid being caught by the police.” Martin also watched the TV show “Dexter,” about a serial killer, because he was “looking for ways to commit the crime when he got rid of Brandy.”
Martin strangled Odom in her bedroom in early April 2018. Then Martin and the other woman purchased cleaning supplies and a vacuum to clean up the scene.
He dismembered the body in the bathtub.
His defense argued that Anderson carried out the murder as part of a love triangle. But that did not carry the jury. For instance, in the days after the discarding the remains, Martin made a slew of relevant searches about the case.
From authorities:
In the early morning of April 8 and April 9, 2018, Martin disposed of Odom’s body parts in Canarsie Park with the assistance of his co-conspirator. On April 10, 2018, Martin conducted dozens of Internet searches for news articles, including “Search area expands after dismembered body found in Canarsie Park in Brooklyn.” Martin also accessed a Twitter post titled “Person walking dog discovers remains of woman in Brooklyn park.” The following day on April 11, 2018, Martin searched YouTube using the search term “exclusive interview of mother of girl found in park.” After Odom’s murder, at Martin’s direction, his co-conspirator made several unsuccessful attempts to claim benefits under Odom’s life insurance policies.
There was also evidence of him purchasing a reciprocating saw. From court documents in November 2020, seeking Martin’s indefinite detention ahead of trial:
On or about April 6, 2018, at approximately 4:36 p.m., Martin accessed online listings for “Reciprocating Saws” on the Home Depot website and accessed a page for the “Dewalt 12-Amp Corded Reciprocating Saw,” described as featuring a “powerful 12 Amp motor designed for heavy-duty applications.” At approximately 5:52 p.m. the same day, the Home Depot in Valley Stream, New York recorded the purchase, in cash, of a Dewalt 12-Amp Corded Reciprocating Saw, five saw blades and black contractor bags. At approximately 7:15 p.m. that day, Martin searched YouTube for the following search terms: “how to insert blade for reciprocating saw” and “using reciprocating saw,” which he subsequently deleted from his phone.
Records show no disposition in Anderson’s case.
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