View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2021/11/18/642834.htm
A Queens, New York, man has been charged with murdering a woman for life insurance benefits.
A superseding indictment was filed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Cory Martin with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Martin was previously charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and fraudulent use of identification relating to an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain life insurance policies in the name of Brandy Odom, a 26-year-old woman, murder her and then claim benefits under the life insurance policies.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, assistant director-in-charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, commissioner for the New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“The defendant allegedly brutally murdered a young woman, dismembered her body and scattered her body parts in a Brooklyn park in order to profit from life insurance policies that he fraudulently obtained in her name,” stated United States Attorney Peace in a U.S. Department of Justice press release. “He will now be held to account for his alleged heinous acts. We hope that today’s charges bring some measure of solace to the victim’s family.”
As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, in March 2017, a year prior to Odom’s murder, Martin and a co-conspirator fraudulently obtained two life insurance policies in the victim’s name. They arranged for premium payments to the life insurance companies to be made by Western Union money order and by using a debit card in Odom’s name. In April 2018, Martin allegedly strangled Odom.
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. After Odom’s murder, at Martin’s direction, several unsuccessful attempts to claim benefits under Odom’s life insurance policies were made by his co-conspirator.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Martin faces a mandatory penalty of life imprisonment or possibly the death penalty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar and Emily Dean are in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice