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Queens resident Cory Martin, age 34, was charged in Brooklyn federal court with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire for his role in the death of 26-year-old Brandy Odom.
Previously, Martin was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and fraudulent use of identification relating to an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain life insurance policies in Odom’s name, murder her, then claim the cash.
US Attorney Breon Peace said that the indictment claims that in March 2017, a year prior to Odom’s murder, Martin and a co-conspirator - reportedly Adelle Anderson, age 32 - fraudulently obtained two life insurance policies in her name.
They allegedly arranged for premium payments to the life insurance companies to be made by Western Union money order and by using a debit card in Odom’s name.
More than a year later, in April 2018, Martin allegedly strangled Odom, and began the process of dismembering her corpse after searching Home Depot’s website for an online listing for a “Dewalt 12-Amp Corded Reciprocating Saw,” described as featuring a “powerful 12 Amp motor designed for heavy-duty applications.”
Later that same night, Martin allegedly searched YouTube using the search term “how to insert blade for reciprocating saw” and “using reciprocating saw,” which he subsequently deleted from his cell phone.
On April 8 and April 9, 2018, Martin disposed of Odom’s body parts in Canarsie Park in Brooklyn with an assist from his co-conspirator.
Peace said that on April 10, 2018, Martin conducted dozens of Internet searches for news articles about Odom, including “Search area expands after dismembered body found in Canarsie Park in Brooklyn.”
Martin also accessed a Twitter post titled “Person walking dog discovers remains of woman in Brooklyn park.”
The following day, Peace said that Martin searched YouTube using the search term “exclusive interview of mother of girl found in park, and after Odom’s murder, at Martin’s direction, several unsuccessful attempts to claim benefits under Odom’s life insurance policies were made by his co-conspirator.
"It's unthinkable that a person could view another human being as a get rich quick scheme," FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael Driscoll said. "We allege Mr. Martin murdered, then dismembered a young woman so he could cash in on fraudulent life insurance policies.
"Ms. Odom didn't deserve the sheer indignity of dying that way, no one does. Mr. Martin facing justice won't bring Ms. Odom back, but it will keep him from plotting another despicable attempt at profiting off someone's life."
Odom. was arrested in Trenton, New Jersey, in November 2020.
"With dogged tenacity and meticulous investigative work, our NYPD detectives and law enforcement partners never wavered in their mission to seek justice for this crime victim," NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea stated.
"Now, more than three years after the malicious fraud and brutal killing alleged in today's indictment, New Yorkers can find our collective answer in these court papers from the United States Attorney's Office."
If convicted, Martin faces life in prison or the death penalty.
"The defendant allegedly brutally murdered a young woman, dismembered her body, and scattered her body parts in a Brooklyn park in order to profit from life insurance policies that he fraudulently obtained in her name,” Peace said. “He will now be held to account for his alleged heinous acts. We hope that today’s charges bring some measure of solace to the victim’s family.”
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