USA - Alabama. Judge sentences Brian Martin to death

October 26, 2026 - Alabama. Judge sentences Brian Martin to death

Colbert County Judge Mitchell Hays formally sentenced Brian Martin, 46, White, to death Monday, Oct. 26, for the October 2021 shooting death of police Sgt. Nick Risner.

The sentencing follows a jury’s unanimous recommendation (see HoC 11/09/2026)

On October 1, 2021, law enforcement officers gave chase after Martin killed his roommate, William Mealback Jr., and threw his body out of a moving vehicle. During the ensuing shootout, Martin shot and fatally wounded Sergeant Risner (who died the following day in the hospital) and struck another officer, who was saved by his bulletproof vest.

During the trial, Martin waived his right to present mitigating circumstances. He openly told the court that he would prefer the death penalty rather than spend the rest of his life in prison. The defense did not dispute Martin’s involvement in the shooting but argued that he was suffering from a severe mental health crisis at the time. Martin’s mother testified that paranoia is a recurring problem in the family and described how her son had boarded up the windows and nailed shut the attic, convinced that people were living there. She said he had been hospitalized for 12 to 14 days earlier in the year and was not taking his prescribed medication.

Martin will face another trial for the murder of Mealback. The trial is set to begin Feb. 1, 2027.

The case sparked intense controversy in Alabama because Martin had already been convicted in 2013 of the manslaughter of his father. Despite a 10-year sentence, he was released on parole after only three years in prison in 2016, subsequently prompting state lawmakers to tighten laws on early release.