A Tarrant County jury sentenced a Fort Worth man yesterday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a 2024 double shooting in northwest Fort Worth. The case began in April 2024, when one victim was pronounced dead at the scene and a second was rushed to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he later died. Jurors returned their verdict after hearing days of testimony in a Tarrant County courtroom.
Alfredo Cantu Martinez, 45, received the life-without-parole sentence, according to WFAA. Prosecutors told jurors Martinez shot the two men during a dispute and then fled the scene before officers arrested him, the station reported.
The shooting unfolded on the 2400 block of Irion Avenue in northwest Fort Worth in April 2024. Police found Michael Cantu dead at the scene and took 26-year-old Martin Hernandez Jr. to John Peter Smith Hospital, where the medical examiner later ruled his death a homicide, as reported by AOL. Authorities arrested Martinez hours after the shooting, and court records show he was booked into the Tarrant County Jail. Officials have not publicly laid out a motive for the attack.
Prosecution’s case and trial highlights
Prosecutors relied on eyewitness testimony and other evidence to frame the shooting as an unprovoked attack. Lead prosecutor D.J. Estes asked jurors, “Would any of you do what he did that day?” and assistant prosecutor Lauren Lawrence said Martinez stole the lives of Michael Cantu and Martin Hernandez by shooting them with a firearm, according to WFAA. The defense challenged the state’s narrative throughout the trial, but the jury found Martinez guilty on the counts presented.
Sentence, charges and next steps
The life-without-parole term means Martinez will not be eligible for release on parole and is expected to serve the remainder of his life in state custody. His attorneys may still pursue post-trial motions or an appeal, which could extend the case into additional hearings in higher courts…