PRESS RELEASE
Celina, OH – Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey announced the capture of Daniel Charles Martin, age 40 in Fort Wayne, IN. Martin was wanted for the November 8, 2012, murder of Melinda Shinn, age 26, in Rockford, OH.
The Sheriff’s Office was requested to investigate the homicide by the Rockford Police Department. Martin had fled the area after the incident. An arrest warrant for Martin was issued on November 8 and a subsequent Mercer County Grand Jury issued an indictment during the December term.
On November 9, 2012, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the United States Marshal’s Service in locating Martin. For the past several days, deputy U.S. Marshals and Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputies have been tracking Martin. This morning Deputy Marshals and Mercer County Detectives hit the home Martin was staying in. Found in the home was an AK 47 assault rifle, which was seized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is investigating the ownership of the rife. Martin was taken into custody without further incident.
“We are very grateful for the US Marshal Service assistance,” stated Sheriff Grey, “without their help and unique tracking capabilities, we would still be looking for Mr. Martin. This is a great example of how federal and local agencies can and should work together.”
“This fugitive investigation was one of our top priorities and we immediately added Martin to our most wanted Dangerous Dozen list,” stated Northern District of Ohio Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Andrew Deserto. “Thanks to the great teamwork with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals in Fort Wayne, we were able to safely bring this dangerous fugitive into custody and remove another deadly weapon from the hands of a criminal.”
