Newark Man Who Fatally Stabbed Friend Gets 54 Years To Life

NEWARK, Ohio—A Newark man was sentenced Tuesday after he was found guilty on nine criminal counts, some of which were connected to the 2008 fatal stabbing of James Meadows.

NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.

Jason Lee Martin, 29, admitted to attacking childhood friend James Meadows, 28, in an effort to obtain 20 pills of Oxycontin.

Martin stabbed, cut and attempted to strangle wife Lucy Meadows after fatally stabbing James.

The couple’s three children were not injured but were witness to the incident.

Licking County Prosecutor Ken Oswalt shared sentencing information with NBC 4 Wednesday.

Licking County Common Pleas Judge Jon Spahr sentenced Martin to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 54 years.

Spahr sentenced Martin to 40 years for the counts of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

He received an additional two years for counts of burglary with a firearms specification, grand theft of a firearm and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

These crimes were committed at a Dayton Road residence of a Meadows family relative Martin knew to be out of town. He fled from that home east on Interstate 70 to eastern Pennsylvania.

Martin’s last 12 years were for one count of attempted aggravated robbery and a second count of aggravated robbery with a firearms specification. These crimes were committed at the North 21st Street CVS Pharmacy during April 2008 and October 2007.

BACKSTORY
Emergency crews were called to a home in the 17000 block of Mary Ann Furnace Rd. Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, where they found James and Lucy.

James was transported to Licking Memorial Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Lucy sustained serious, but lesser, injuries and was able to tell detectives what happened.

Martin was apprehended in Washington County, Pa., early Saturday, after eight hours after the incident.

“He admitted to the stabbings, he admitted to two armed robberies of two local CVS pharmacies here in Newark. The motive for the armed robberies and the attack yesterday evening on the Meadows family was driven by his desire for the prescription drug Oxycontin,“ Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp told NBC 4 before the case went to trial.

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