Family still asking for thorough investigation after 19-year-old dies in rural Missouri

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) – Family, friends and activists rallied Sunday afternoon in Downtown St. Louis for a 19-year-old who died in rural Missouri in 2021.

The family of Derontae Martin hosted a rally at Keiner Plaza more than two years after Martin died in Fredericktown, Missouri, under mysterious circumstances.

In April 2021, a classmate picked up Martin from his home in Ferguson, Missouri, and then drove to Fredericktown, Missouri, for a party. Fredericktown is about 90 miles south of St. Louis.

Martin’s grandmother lives in Park Hills, where Martin spent significant time growing up. Martin also planned to visit his grandmother on his trip south. Park Hills is about 30 minutes from Fredericktown.

Shortly after Martin died, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Madison County, Missouri, officials told Martin’s family he died by suicide from a gun, but during a coroner’s inquest a few months later, a jury ruled Martin died violently. Martin’s family paid for a separate autopsy that found the gun was shot from a distance, not consistent with suicide.

One person at the 2021 inquest testified the person who owns the home where the party happened bragged about killing Martin, but another person testified that Martin shot himself.

No one has ever been charged with a crime.

“It’s been two years, and nobody still has been charged with the murder of my son,” said Ericka Lotts, Martin’s mother.

Lotts said she contacted the new prosecuting attorney for Madison County, Missouri, to investigate the case.

“That’s been about four months ago, and he still hasn’t contacted me,” she said.

“They failed Derontae, and they’re not even held accountable,” said Kimberly Lotts-Robinson, Martin’s grandmother. “It shouldn’t be that hard for someone to step in and prompt an investigation.”

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