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Survivor Forgives Attacker Sentenced to Life
11 Jul
Summary
- A former transit worker received a life sentence plus 60 years.
- The survivor of a 2009 rape offered forgiveness to her attacker.
- The attacker also faces charges for a 2000 murder case.
A Miami-Dade judge sentenced Gregory Martin, 56, to life in prison plus 60 years for the 2009 rape and attempted murder of an 18-year-old woman. The brutal attack occurred in July 2009. Prosecutors detailed how the victim pleaded for her life, and even revealed her pregnancy, which had no impact on her attacker.
Seventeen years after the assault, the survivor offered Martin forgiveness in court, stating she does not hate him and that her heart is made for forgiveness. Her thoughts, however, were with other alleged victims, as she felt their pain. Investigators connected Martin to the crime through DNA evidence found at the scene, matching a profile obtained when he was arrested in December 2009 for an attempted murder of an ex-girlfriend.
Martin is also in custody awaiting trial for the 2000 rape and murder of 13-year-old Cynteria Phillips, with DNA evidence linking him to that case as well. The judge has set early 2027 for the trial in the Phillips murder case, one of the oldest open cases. The life sentence and separate 15-year sentence were issued for the 2009 attack.
