Investigators: Driver Killed Retired Michigan Woman for Sex Acts with Body

A man purposefully hit and killed a 64-year-old woman in Van Buren County, Michigan, to perform sex acts with the victim’s body, investigators have alleged.

As WWMT reported Thursday:

Investigators pointed to DNA evidence and the suspect’s online search history as evidence for the murder charge against Colby Martin. Martin, 29, of White Pigeon, was arraigned on open murder connected to the death of Melody Rohrer in Van Buren County District Court Wednesday. Prosecutors initially charged Martin with manslaughter with an automobile, failure to stop at the scene of a crash, and concealing a body in September 2021.

In September, authorities alleged he struck the 64-year-old woman when she was jogging through Hamilton Township and that he moved the body to St. Joseph County.
At the time, prosecutors described the alleged crimes as “egregious,” according to WWMT.

“The defendant’s conduct is that of a person who shows absolutely no remorse, it shows that he is a great danger, is very dangerous,” Van Buren County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jay Blair commented. “He presents a very high and great danger to the public.”

The victim’s husband reported she was missing when the retired nurse did not come home after exercising, and Martin eventually showed authorities where her body was located, according to detectives.

The suspect’s cellphone search history reportedly revealed he looked for pornography involving “dead or unconscious women” once the victim was reported to be missing.

“Detectives also said Martin and Rohrer’s DNA were linked to condoms recovered in Martin’s vehicle and a trashcan near his home,” the WWMT report stated.
Martin was charged this week with open murder and denied bond, according to Fox 17.

Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott explained in a statement, “I can tell you from the time this incident happened, the case has been worked on hard with a lot of man-hours invested. The case is still being worked and will be for some time to come.”