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Former MLB First-Rounder Convicted on Triple Murder Using Baseball Bat

Former MLB prospect and Corona Santiago High standout Brandon Martin is facing a conviction of triple murder using a baseball bat.

Martin, who was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays in the supplemental first round of the 2011 MLB draft, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder on Wednesday, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Martin is reportedly accused of using a baseball bat to beat his father, Michael Martin, uncle Ricky Andersen and alarm installer Barry Swanson.

After four hours of deliberations, a Riverside County Superior Court jury found Martin guilty on all three counts of first-degree murder.

Additionally, the jury also convicted Martin of evading arrest, resisting arrest, auto theft, and injuring a police dog. The jury is on schedule to start the hearing testimony on Monday in the sentencing phase. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The Rays drafted Martin out of Corona Santiago High with the 38th overall selection in the 2011 draft. The shortstop cashed in on an $860,000 signing bonus after being drafted. He even drew on-field comparisons to MLB and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter.

Behavior of Former MLB Player Brandon Martin Grew Erratic

However, Martin’s behavior became erratic in the years after being a top draft pick, according to court records and interviews with friends. Some different altercations include punching his father in the face and putting his mother in a headlock.

The Rays released Martin in early 2015 after not having played in a game in over a year.

Martin was on a mental-health hold in Riverside, according to the prosecution in the trial via NBC. This was after admitting to Corona police officers that he choked his mother and threatened her with scissors. That incident took place two days before the murders.

Meanwhile, the family was setting up a security-system installation on the day of the murders to protect them.

Upon release from the psychiatric facility, he went straight to his father’s house. He got there around 6 p.m., according to reports. His father was at the residence with his brother-in-law, 51-year-old Ricky Lee Anderson, and Barry Swanson, a 62-year-old ADT technician who was working to install a security system following Martin’s threats.

Prosecutors say that Martin grabbed a baseball bat once inside the house and beat all three men. The father and technician died at the scene, while Anderson died after spending two days in a coma.

The murder weapon used was a black baseball bat, containing an engraving of Martin’s name. The bat was left at the scene.

Following the attack, the former baseball player stole Swanson’s pick-up truck and was hiding out overnight. An off-duty police officer was able to spot Martin the next day. As a result, Martin reportedly sparked a car chase.

When authorities apprehended Martin, police records allege that he assaulted a police canine and resisted arrest.

Martin, 27, has been in jail without bail in Riverside since his arrest.

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