New Albany teen charged with murder

Aprile Rickert, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Mar. 25—NEW ALBANY — A New Albany teen has been charged as an adult with murder after investigators say he fatally shot a man who had gone to his house to buy drugs, then tried to rob him.

Vance L. Martin, 17, appeared for an initial hearing Thursday in Clark County, the same day the prosecutor's office direct-filed his charge in adult court. He's accused of the shooting death of 38-year-old Joshua Gonzales earlier this week.

Court records show Martin called 911 around 6:30 p.m. Monday to report that he had just shot a man after the man had entered Martin's home and tried to rob him. Responding officers found Gonzales dead at the scene and recovered a Glock handgun nearby.

During the investigation, Martin and a family member told police the defendant had been outside his home on Cherry Street with a friend when a man later identified as Gonzales approached and asked if he had methamphetamine. He said he did and the three walked inside to get it.

An argument ensued and records show Gonzales grabbed the bag of methamphetamine and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Martin, who responded by pulling out a handgun and pointing it at Gonzales. Gonzales is reported to have fired the gun, followed by Martin firing toward the victim "several times," including at his head.

A witness said Martin had given Gonzales a small baggie of methamphetamine and that Gonzales had become angry, had pointed his gun at Martin and demanded Martin give him him the gun, money and any other methamphetamine. The witness said Gonzales then fired at Martin, and Martin returned fire several times.

A detective on scene found a baggie in Gonzales' hand with what later tested positive for 1.4 grams of methamphetamine.

Autopsy results showed Gonzales to have been shot three times in the head, twice at close range.

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