KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) –
A Knoxville man has been sentenced to life in prison after a Knox County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a man during a dispute over a stolen cell phone.
According to District Attorney General Charme Allen, 22-year-old Kevin Jaimes Martinez was convicted following a three-day trial stemming from a December 19, 2024, shooting on Washington Pike.
Investigators with the Knoxville Police Department determined Martinez was angry because he believed the victim had stolen his brother’s cell phone.
Evidence presented during trial showed Martinez located the victim sitting inside a vehicle parked outside a laundromat on Washington Pike. Surveillance video introduced in court showed Martinez walking from behind the laundromat to the victim’s vehicle before briefly returning behind the building.
Prosecutors said Martinez then returned to the vehicle, opened the door, and shot the victim.
Suspect Captured in Nashville
Following the shooting, authorities said Martinez fled the scene.
Law enforcement agencies launched a search that led to his arrest at the Nashville Greyhound bus station while he was reportedly attempting to travel to California.
District Attorney General Charme Allen credited the Knoxville Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and Metro Nashville Police Department for their work in locating and apprehending Martinez.
“Thanks to the quick work of KPD, with the assistance of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Metro Nashville Police Department, this offender was apprehended and held accountable,” Allen said.
Life Sentence Carries Major Consequences
Under Tennessee law, a conviction for first-degree murder carries some of the state’s most severe penalties.
The judge ordered Martinez to serve a life sentence in prison. State law requires individuals sentenced to life for first-degree murder to serve at least 51 years before becoming eligible to appear before the parole board.
In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, felony murder convictions can also result in substantial court costs and financial penalties. However, the most significant consequence remains the mandatory decades-long incarceration imposed by the court.
Prosecutors Stress Accountability
The conviction closes a case that prosecutors said stemmed from a dispute over personal property but ultimately resulted in the loss of a life.
Authorities emphasized that disagreements should never be settled through violence and noted the case demonstrates the serious legal consequences that accompany homicide offenses in Tennessee.
