GUILTY OH - Vivian Martin, 67, real estate agent found slain, Youngstown, 20 Sept 2010

By MEGHAN BARR and THOMAS J. SHEERAN
KENT, Ohio - The killings of two real estate agents and robbery of a third within a week have agents on northeast Ohio on alert, and some are even cutting back on business as police warn them not to go alone to show properties.

One agent was found Monday strangled in a burning home that had been vacant and on the market. The next day, another was found shot once, also in vacant home up for sale. A third was threatened and robbed of her purse at gunpoint as she showed an apartment building Sept. 15.

snip

Vivian Martin, 67, was found dead Monday on the kitchen floor of a burning home in Youngstown, according to police chief Jimmy Hughes. She was strangled, and authorities said the fire was arson.

The body of 51-year-old Andrew VonStein was found Tuesday in a vacant ranch-style house he was trying to sell about 40 miles west of Youngstown in a lakefront community near Kent State University.

More at link:
http://headlines.verizon.com/headli..._us_article&_article=3092970&_ref=articlePage

This story really struck me because of the Lindsay Buziak story. No where close physically, it just struck me as odd.

How sad.

Realtors can't even show houses now.

This is so scary. And the more stories we hear it seems the more it happens, copycats, it gives creeps ideas. I've always thought about going into real estate but this was the one thing that scared me too much, being alone in a home with strangers.

What can be done? Maybe realtors will change their policies and there has to be two people going to a home. Or maybe the homeowner needs to be home at the time of the showings but of course that wouldn't help if the home was vacant.

I believe they are pairing up for showings, but don't know if that will really help that much. I don't know how they can protect themselves in this job short of getting a carry permit.

These situations are not too far from me and on the news tonight we heard from another female realtor who had a spooky experience. Turns out the guy who wanted to see a house "right now" was one of those now arrested. She was immediately suspicious and merely handed him her card, refusing to show him the house at once. Good thing, or she might have been another statistic.

It is really a shame that people have to be afraid to go to work or school anymore. You never know anymore when someone is going to flip out and mow everyone in their path down.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/jun/07/4-year-delay-realtors-murder-case-maddening-say-fr/?nw

Friends and family of slain real-estate agent Vivian Martin say she was never shy about making her opinions known and would have no shortage of things to say about the nearly four-year delay in trying the two men accused of her murder.

“She would always want someone to be held accountable,” said her granddaughter, Latoyia Brown, last week as a group of friends and family gathered to remember the slain 67-year-old Martin and express their frustration that her accused killers have yet to stand trial — even though they were arrested and charged with the crime in 2010.

Martin, a cancer survivor and owner of Essence Realty, was found in a burning home in the 3600 block of Nelson Avenue on Sept. 20, 2010. Arrested a few days later were Robert Brooks, 29, and Grant Cooper, 25. They are charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the updates Okie & Indy!

http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/jul/18/judge-rules-on-motions-in-murder-case/

Judge Lee Sinclair agreed to a defense request to move a suppression hearing that was slated for Thursday for 25-year-old Grant Cooper to July 31 because a witness defense attorneys needed was not available Thursday. The judge said that will not affect the timetable to bring the case to trial. Jury selection in his case was pushed back from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24...

Brooks and Cooper each face the death penalty if convicted in the Sept. 20, 2010, death of 67-year-old Vivian Martin...

Brooks’ trial date has been set for Sept. 22.

Click to expand...

http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/oct/03/martin-family-now-we-can-get-some-healin/

The family of slain real-estate agent Vivian Martin said it hopes it can begin to heal after the second and last man who pleaded guilty to killing her in 2010 was sentenced to 29 years in prison...

Cooper was sentenced on charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated arson, aggravated robbery and kidnapping...

Brooks was sentenced to life in prison with no parole by visiting Judge Lee Sinclair. Cooper, who strangled Martin, pleaded guilty to his charges July 31 and agreed to testify against Brooks if needed. Brooks pleaded guilty Sept. 19 to Martin’s death and the robbery of a real-estate agent in Boardman five days before Martin was killed. In exchange for his pleas, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty against him.

Click to expand...