Martin Lee Sanders
Serial Killer and Rapist
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Ephrata, Washington
TIME PERIOD
1980-1983
VICTIMS
4 confirmed
Martin Lee Sanders, an American serial killer and rapist, was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of four young women between 1980 and 1983 in Washington State. His first victims, 18-year-old Marsha Weatter and 19-year-old Kathy Allen, were last seen hitchhiking in March 1980 and were found deceased along Interstate 90 in October 1981, having been shot to death. In May 1983, 15-year-olds Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks disappeared from a carnival in Spokane, with their bodies discovered weeks later in the Spokane River. Sanders was apprehended on April 2, 1987, after kidnapping two hitchhikers in Montana, and later confessed to his cellmate about the murders, leading to his conviction in 1990 for the Spokane killings, resulting in a life sentence. Sanders died in custody on April 4, 2022, at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Washington.
Investigators and the public have speculated that Martin Lee Sanders may have had connections to other unsolved cases in the region, given the span of his criminal activities and the nature of his offenses. Some believe that his profession as a truck driver allowed him to evade detection and potentially commit further crimes across state lines. Additionally, there are theories that the murders of Marsha Weatter and Kathy Allen were part of a larger pattern of abductions targeting young women hitchhiking in the area during that time.
The Sinister Path of Martin Lee Sanders
Introduction: A Murderous Journey Begins
On a fateful day, May 31, 1952, in Montana, the world welcomed Martin Lee Sanders. Little did anyone know that this truck driver would evolve into a chilling figure in American crime history. Sanders, notorious as a rapist and serial killer, embarked on a gruesome spree that spanned several years and left a trail of horror from 1980 to 1983 in the states of Montana and Washington. His life of crime culminated in his conviction for the murders of four young women, ultimately leading to his life imprisonment and eventual death behind bars.
Marsha Weatter and Kathy Allen: The Disappearance
The year was 1980 when Marsha Weatter, 18, and Kathy Allen, 19, said their goodbyes to Fairbanks, Alaska, embarking on a hitchhiking adventure across the Western United States. They promised their parents they would return by April 6, but fate had other plans. Last seen in March at a quaint restaurant in Ritzville, Washington, their disappearance puzzled law enforcement and devastated their families. By May, with no word from the young women, their desperate parents turned to private investigators.
In a desperate turn of events, sheriff's detectives sought the help of Reverend Robert William Reid, who, through what he claimed were spiritual connections, deduced that the women had been abducted. Tragically, on October 10, 1981, the remains of Marsha and Kathy were discovered along Interstate 90 in Washington. Covered in volcanic ash from the Mount St. Helens eruption in May 1980, the women had been shot to death, a grim testament to their fate.
Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks: The Lilac Festival Tragedy
Fast forward to May 1983, and two more lives were about to be claimed. Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks, both 15, vanished into thin air after attending the Lilac Festival carnival in Spokane, Washington. Their mysterious disappearance left the community on edge. Three weeks later, the Spokane River revealed their lifeless bodies, pushing the hunt for their killer into high gear.
The Arrest and the Confession
It was on May 18, 1986, that Martin Sanders' violent tendencies surfaced once more. Armed with an unloaded gun and handcuffs, Sanders kidnapped two hitchhikers in Missoula, Montana. In the cramped confines of his semi-truck's sleeping compartment, he raped one of the victims. This brazen act led to his arrest on April 2, 1987, in Wyoming. He was extradited to Montana, where he faced and was convicted of kidnapping charges, receiving a 20-year prison sentence.
Yet, Sanders' macabre tale didn't end there. In 1989, while incarcerated, he made a chilling confession to a cellmate, detailing the murders of Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks. The cellmate, recognizing the gravity of the confession, alerted authorities. Sanders was then extradited to Washington to face trial. To avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty to the murders, also admitting his involvement in the deaths of Weatter and Allen. His plea bargain resulted in a life sentence, which he served at the Coyote Ridge Correctional Center in Connell, Washington.
Conclusion: End of the Road
Martin Lee Sanders' life of crime came to a quiet end on April 4, 2022, when he succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 69, while still incarcerated at Coyote Ridge. His death marked the end of a dark chapter in American crime history, leaving behind the haunting memories of the young lives he extinguished and the families forever scarred by his actions.
Sources
For further reading and verification of facts, please refer to the original Wikipedia article on Martin Lee Sanders: Wikipedia URL.
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First Victims Disappear
Marsha Weatter and Kathy Allen last seen hitchhiking.
Bodies Found
The bodies of Weatter and Allen discovered along I-90.
Second Set of Victims Disappear
Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks last seen at a carnival.
Bodies Discovered
Rima and Marks' bodies found in the Spokane River.
Kidnapping Arrest
Sanders kidnaps two hitchhikers in Missoula, Montana.
Arrest Made
Sanders arrested in Wyoming and extradited to Montana.
Confession to Cellmate
Sanders confesses to murders of Rima and Marks.
Guilty Plea
Sanders pleads guilty to murders to avoid death penalty.
Death of Sanders
Martin Lee Sanders dies of a heart attack in prison.
Martin Lee Sanders, an American serial killer and rapist, was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of four young women between 1980 and 1983 in Washington State. His first victims, 18-year-old Marsha Weatter and 19-year-old Kathy Allen, were last seen hitchhiking in March 1980 and were found deceased along Interstate 90 in October 1981, having been shot to death. In May 1983, 15-year-olds Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks disappeared from a carnival in Spokane, with their bodies discovered weeks later in the Spokane River. Sanders was apprehended on April 2, 1987, after kidnapping two hitchhikers in Montana, and later confessed to his cellmate about the murders, leading to his conviction in 1990 for the Spokane killings, resulting in a life sentence. Sanders died in custody on April 4, 2022, at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Washington.
Investigators and the public have speculated that Martin Lee Sanders may have had connections to other unsolved cases in the region, given the span of his criminal activities and the nature of his offenses. Some believe that his profession as a truck driver allowed him to evade detection and potentially commit further crimes across state lines. Additionally, there are theories that the murders of Marsha Weatter and Kathy Allen were part of a larger pattern of abductions targeting young women hitchhiking in the area during that time.
The Sinister Path of Martin Lee Sanders
Introduction: A Murderous Journey Begins
On a fateful day, May 31, 1952, in Montana, the world welcomed Martin Lee Sanders. Little did anyone know that this truck driver would evolve into a chilling figure in American crime history. Sanders, notorious as a rapist and serial killer, embarked on a gruesome spree that spanned several years and left a trail of horror from 1980 to 1983 in the states of Montana and Washington. His life of crime culminated in his conviction for the murders of four young women, ultimately leading to his life imprisonment and eventual death behind bars.
Marsha Weatter and Kathy Allen: The Disappearance
The year was 1980 when Marsha Weatter, 18, and Kathy Allen, 19, said their goodbyes to Fairbanks, Alaska, embarking on a hitchhiking adventure across the Western United States. They promised their parents they would return by April 6, but fate had other plans. Last seen in March at a quaint restaurant in Ritzville, Washington, their disappearance puzzled law enforcement and devastated their families. By May, with no word from the young women, their desperate parents turned to private investigators.
In a desperate turn of events, sheriff's detectives sought the help of Reverend Robert William Reid, who, through what he claimed were spiritual connections, deduced that the women had been abducted. Tragically, on October 10, 1981, the remains of Marsha and Kathy were discovered along Interstate 90 in Washington. Covered in volcanic ash from the Mount St. Helens eruption in May 1980, the women had been shot to death, a grim testament to their fate.
Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks: The Lilac Festival Tragedy
Fast forward to May 1983, and two more lives were about to be claimed. Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks, both 15, vanished into thin air after attending the Lilac Festival carnival in Spokane, Washington. Their mysterious disappearance left the community on edge. Three weeks later, the Spokane River revealed their lifeless bodies, pushing the hunt for their killer into high gear.
The Arrest and the Confession
It was on May 18, 1986, that Martin Sanders' violent tendencies surfaced once more. Armed with an unloaded gun and handcuffs, Sanders kidnapped two hitchhikers in Missoula, Montana. In the cramped confines of his semi-truck's sleeping compartment, he raped one of the victims. This brazen act led to his arrest on April 2, 1987, in Wyoming. He was extradited to Montana, where he faced and was convicted of kidnapping charges, receiving a 20-year prison sentence.
Yet, Sanders' macabre tale didn't end there. In 1989, while incarcerated, he made a chilling confession to a cellmate, detailing the murders of Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks. The cellmate, recognizing the gravity of the confession, alerted authorities. Sanders was then extradited to Washington to face trial. To avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty to the murders, also admitting his involvement in the deaths of Weatter and Allen. His plea bargain resulted in a life sentence, which he served at the Coyote Ridge Correctional Center in Connell, Washington.
Conclusion: End of the Road
Martin Lee Sanders' life of crime came to a quiet end on April 4, 2022, when he succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 69, while still incarcerated at Coyote Ridge. His death marked the end of a dark chapter in American crime history, leaving behind the haunting memories of the young lives he extinguished and the families forever scarred by his actions.
Sources
For further reading and verification of facts, please refer to the original Wikipedia article on Martin Lee Sanders: Wikipedia URL.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
First Victims Disappear
Marsha Weatter and Kathy Allen last seen hitchhiking.
Bodies Found
The bodies of Weatter and Allen discovered along I-90.
Second Set of Victims Disappear
Rhonda Rima and Elizabeth Marks last seen at a carnival.
Bodies Discovered
Rima and Marks' bodies found in the Spokane River.
Kidnapping Arrest
Sanders kidnaps two hitchhikers in Missoula, Montana.
Arrest Made
Sanders arrested in Wyoming and extradited to Montana.
Confession to Cellmate
Sanders confesses to murders of Rima and Marks.
Guilty Plea
Sanders pleads guilty to murders to avoid death penalty.
Death of Sanders
Martin Lee Sanders dies of a heart attack in prison.