N.J. killer who wanted to die gets his wish
A murderer who insisted he would rather be put to death than stay on New Jersey's death row died early this morning in his prison cell, authorities said.
A murderer who insisted he would rather be put to death than stay on New Jersey's death row died early this morning in his prison cell, authorities said.
John Martini, who turned 79 in July, was pronounced dead at 2:21 a.m. at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, where he was serving life after New Jersey eliminated the death penalty, said Deirdre Fedkenheuer, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections.
Fedkenheuer said an autopsy will determine cause of death.
Martini was a tough-talking career criminal who killed acquaintances in several states, including an elderly Philadelphia woman, and demanded all his appeals to save his life end. On death row he turned into a feeble inmate who appealed his death sentence after an execution date was set.
He landed on death row for the fatal shooting of Irving Flax, a former business associate from Fair Lawn, Bergen County, whom he kidnapped and killed after the victim's family paid Martini's ransom demand in 1989.
Martini was also convicted of murdering Polly Duvall in 1987 in Philadelphia; he swindled her in a real estate transaction, killed her, and then left her body in the trunk of a car at Philadelphia International Airport.
Martini was among nine former death-row inmates incarcerated in New Jersey.
