‘Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda: Blood Relative’ on Investigation Discovery tells the story of how 35-year-old Peter Martinez was murdered in his front yard in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in March 1986. The following day, the police made an arrest based on witness evidence of the alleged offenders. Yet a court cleared them of the accusations after determining there was insufficient proof. How did Peter die, and what is his story? Let’s investigate.
How Did Peter Martinez Die?
On March 29, 1986, Larry and Kelly Schlott were dozing off at their house on Monica Drive West in Colorado Springs, El Paso County. They heard a loud banging at their front door at 2:30 in the morning. As Larry heard the disturbance and opened the door, Louise, their neighbour, was crying. Her companion, Peter Lloyd Martinez, was shot and laying in front of the house, she mumbled between her sobs. She visited Larry’s home because he was trained in CPR.
When Louise dialled 911, Larry hurried to start CPR on Peter, and as soon as emergency personnel showed up, they took the wounded to a nearby hospital. Five bullets from a.25 calibre semi-automatic weapon had been fired at him. He was shot twice in the arm, once each in the chest, shoulder, and stomach, according to the medical examiner. He was in critical condition when the physicians operated on him when the investigators got to the hospital. Tragically, on March 30, the 35-year-old passed away from his wounds.
Who Killed Peter Martinez?
Five shot casings and one in Peter’s garden were discovered by the detectives after they searched the area. In the front grass, they also discovered a silver crescent wrench. The officers saw what seemed to be a battle in the front garden that had apparently been trodden down before moving onto the roadway. Despite some residents being awakened by numerous gunshots, they were unable to locate any neighbours who had seen the shooting. As they had followed Peter’s ambulance to the hospital, they were unable to question Peter’s partner or their children.
In the hospital lobby, officers encountered Louise and the two children, Eric and Peter Jr. Louise consented to talk to the detectives since the kids were still in shock. Despite not being legally married, she informed them she and Peter had been dating for 15 years. They were glad to spend time with one other despite the difficult labour and minimal income they received as custodians of a building in the city. They had just settled in for the evening after arriving home late, according to Louise, when they heard knocking at their front door.
Katherine Darlene Milkier and one of her female friends were waiting for them when Peter opened the door. They arrived at Peter’s home for the after-party inebriated after attending a party elsewhere. Peter, who was first nervous, relaxed as they popped open some beers and reminisced about past times. But after a fight between them, Katherine stormed out of the house sobbing. Louise told the police that Peter and Katherine frequently fought and had a difficult relationship.
Peter and Louise were awakened a second time after going back to sleep to discover Katherine had returned with her kids in order to start a quarrel. When Louise heard gunshots, she was about to dial 911. Instead, she ran outside and discovered Peter lying on the curb. When she attended to her spouse, she described two red and grey automobiles rushing away. The police spotted the grey automobile in the 2000 block of Corona Street based on Louise’s description and detained Katherine and her husband, Hank, inside.
Katherine quickly hired a lawyer because she was too inebriated. When the police examined Peter Jr., they discovered that he had witnessed Jonathan G. Ferreri, the shooter who killed his father. Jonathan lived in room 316 of Fort Carson’s Building 1665 as a Private E1 in the US Army. As he was taken to the station for questioning, he quickly admitted to the shooting. He asserted that he was dating Nina, one of Katherine’s daughters. When he was roused from sleep and transported to Peter’s house to settle a dispute, Jonathan was spending the night at her house.
Where Are Jonathan Ferreri and Katherine Milkier Now?
Katherine allegedly arrived with her children Nina, Rico, Marta, and Jonathan to settle the score after Peter allegedly hit her at his house. The family argued and eventually got into a fight as Jonathan waited by the car. The attackers backed off and got in their car after Peter pretended to pull a revolver. Unfortunately, Katherine was too inebriated to start the vehicle, and when Peter approached the window, Jonathan sat on the passenger side.
Peter allegedly pulled the crescent wrench during disputes. Unfortunately, a drunk Jonathan mistakenly thought it was a gun, drew his service handgun, and fired one round at Peter. The 33-year-old Katherine of 1225 Aspen Avenue was accused with being an accessory to second-degree murder, while the 18-year-old soldier was charged with second-degree murder.
Katherine posted her $2,000 bond while they were being held at the El Paso County jail. As their case proceeded to trial, a grand jury determined that there was insufficient evidence to conclusively establish Jonathan’s involvement in illegal activities. He was cleared of all allegations, and consequently Katherina was too. They are not in the public domain where they are right now.
