Ryan Evans

Ryan J. Evans (1987–June 13, 2006), a resident of 10th Court in College Hills in Birmingham, was killed, along his grandparents, John, and Evelyn Martin, on June 13, 2006, by Derrol Shaw. Evans appears to have been Shaw's accomplice in the earlier murder of Walter Hill. Evans and the Martins bodies were discovered in a wooded area near Bessemer in December 2006.

History

Ryan is the son of the Martins' daughter, Tammy Duff. He had been living with his grandparents when the three were reported missing by family members on June 13, 2006. A few days later Police searched the home and found trace blood stains in a recliner, which led to the suspicion of foul play.

Rewards totalling $130,000 were offered by Tuscaloosa businessman Stan Pate, Barber's Dairy, the State of Alabama, and others for the family's safe return, or for information leading to the arrests of suspects in connection with their disappearance.

On December 13, 2006, Evelyn's body was found in an overgrown ravine just off Alabama Highway 150 near Bessemer. It was lodged under a bridge over the creek. After her body was identified, officers returned to search the ravine on December 15. They found John's and Evans' bodies about 100 yards from where Evelyn's had been.

Derrol Shaw, who may have been living secretly in their basement, was captured close to the 1600 block of 1st Avenue South, where police found the Martins' 2005 Toyota Camry. Another man, Lovell Watkins, in jail for unrelated charges, was later named a "person of interest" in the case. Shaw, already serving time for a string of carjackings, was charged with capital murder in the deaths of Evans, the Martins, and 91-year-old church deacon Walter Hill.

In January 2008 he agreed to plead guilty to all four murders in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without parole. According to Shaw's testimony, Evans accompanied him during the robbery and murder of Walter Hill on June 9, 2006. Shaw heard that Evans had been bragging about Hill's murder and confronted him on June 13, 2006 in the Martins' basement. The commotion drew Evelyn down, at which time Shaw used her as a shield and shot Evans to death. He then killed John and Evelyn so there would be no witnesses and dumped their bodies in the ravine near Bessemer. Shaw later related the story to a Shelby County Jail cell mate, whose testimony was used at Shaw's trial.

References

• Robinson, Carol. (September 5, 2006). "'It's not old news. Not to us.'" The Birmingham News.
• Gordon, Robert K. and Carol Robinson. (December 15, 2006). "Bodies of missing Martin family believed found." The Birmingham News Breaking News Blog. Quoted in Dre's Ramblings (December 15, 2007 [1]), accessed September 18, 2007.
• Velasco, Eric. (September 18, 2007). "Prosecutors: Shaw killed to cover crimes." The Birmingham News.
• Velasco, Eric (January 14, 2008) "Derrol Shaw agrees to plead guilty to four Birmingham murders." The Birmingham News.
• Velasco, Eric. (January 16, 2008). "Shaw used woman as shield." The Birmingham News.