Derek Martin, 67, was supposed to provide care for his stepdaughter Chloe Bashford, 30, but instead, he viciously attacked her in her own home. He repeatedly struck her with a hammer and then proceeded to stab her eight times with a kitchen knife. Later, when Chloe’s husband, Josh, 33, returned home, Martin chased him upstairs, stabbing him four times and eventually strangling him to death with a belt.
Following a heated argument over money, Martin confessed that he “just flipped.” He attempted to clean up the crime scene before calmly picking up Chloe and Josh’s four children from school. He took them for a meal at McDonald’s and then dropped them off at their grandmother’s house before surrendering to the authorities.
Despite denying the charges of murder, Martin was found guilty of killing the couple more than two years after the tragic incident. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 29 years. Prior to the incident, Martin had been married to Chloe’s mother but had separated before Chloe was born. He had reconnected with the family after serving time in prison for burglary, assisting with household chores and financial matters.
On the day of the murders, Martin dropped off the couple’s two youngest children at school before engaging in a confrontation with Chloe over money owed to him. The argument escalated, leading Martin to violently attack Chloe. He then waited for Josh’s return and carried out a brutal assault on him as well.
After the killings, Martin attempted to conceal the crimes from the children, taking them out for food and notifying their grandmother. Subsequently, he handed himself over to the authorities, admitting to the double homicide. Reports indicated that Martin had a history of depression and had stopped taking his medication prior to the incident.
In court, family members expressed their grief and devastation over the loss of Chloe and Josh. Elaine Sturges, Chloe’s mother, spoke of the profound impact on her life, while the couple’s eldest son, Brooklynn Bashford, paid tribute to his parents, expressing ongoing pain and trauma. He vowed to never forgive Martin for his actions.