Man Sentenced for 2022 Sunken Garden Murder

Brandon Martinez, a 37-year-old man from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison on Monday (January 27) after pleading guilty to third-degree murder in the 2022 death of Stacey Shannon. Shannon, 53, was found dead in Harrisburg's Sunken Garden with multiple traumatic injuries.

The plea deal, accepted just before the trial was set to begin, also resulted in the dropping of charges for second-degree murder and attempted rape. Martinez's sentence will run consecutively with a separate three to six-year sentence he is currently serving.

The case began when Shannon's body was discovered on December 22, 2022. Martinez was identified as a suspect after surveillance footage showed a man matching his description near the crime scene. Witnesses from a local shelter, where Martinez was reportedly living, also implicated him in the murder.

According to PennLive, the plea deal was a surprise move, as the trial had been delayed multiple times since September 2024.

Local21News reported that the Dauphin County District Attorney confirmed the sentence, emphasizing the thorough investigation by Harrisburg Police.

ABC27 News noted that the plea deal brought closure to a case that had been closely followed in the Harrisburg area.

Links

https://www.pennlive.com/crime/2025/01/man-charged-with-killing-woman-in-harrisburgs-sunken-garden-makes-surprise-plea-deal.html https://local21news.com/news/local/suspect-pleads-guilty-to-2022-murder-sentenced-up-to-40-years-in-prison-da https://www.abc27.com/local-news/man-pleads-guilty-to-harrisburg-sunken-garden-murder/

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