Convicted Sex Offender Allegedly Murders Maryland Parole Officer During Routine Check, Wrapped Body in Plastic and Stuffed Under Bed

Convicted sex offender Emanuel Sewell, left, allegedly murdered his parole officer, Davis Martinez, right, during a routine visit to his Chevy Chase, Maryland, home. Cops arrested Sewell in West Virginia

A convicted sex offender in Maryland allegedly killed his parole officer during a routine check at his home in Chevy Chase, officials said.

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Parole and Probation Agent Davis Martinez, 33, was found dead shortly before 6 p.m. on May 31. The Montgomery County Police Department responded to the home of 54-year-old Emanuel Edward Sewell after Martinez failed to return from a visit. Officers entered the apartment and discovered Martinez's body wrapped in plastic under a bed, with a bloody towel nearby and Sewell gone. Martinez had sustained "multiple injuries" and was murdered, though the exact cause of death has yet to be released. His car was found in the parking lot, and his cellphone was believed to have been discarded in a dumpster.

An arrest warrant was issued for Sewell, who was captured around 5 p.m. on June 1 while driving on Interstate 64 near Hurricane, West Virginia, nearly 400 miles from Chevy Chase. Initially charged with second-degree murder, it is expected that the charge will be upgraded to first-degree murder. Sewell was extradited to Maryland and arraigned on the second-degree murder charge on Monday.

Sewell had been released in 2021 after serving 25 years in prison for a violent sexual assault. In October 1996, he broke into a sleeping man's apartment, bound his hands and feet, and raped him. Martinez had been Sewell's parole officer for some time, and it is customary for officers to conduct checks alone. Officials believe Martinez is the first parole officer in Maryland to be killed in the line of duty.

Martinez had worked in the Silver Spring office for about six years. Parole and Probation Director Martha Danner praised him as a thorough and caring agent dedicated to helping clients improve their lives. "The Silver Spring office will sorely miss him because he was a sensitive soul who always helped everyone," she said.

The department posted a tribute video featuring coworkers speaking about Martinez's passion for his job and his dedication to helping people change their lives. In a 2021 interview included in the tribute, Martinez expressed his affection for his colleagues, describing them as a "second family."