Diane Martin, 48, was shot and killed inside her home at 84 Ricker Street in Waterloo on the night of September 10, 2018. Waterloo police were called to the residence around 9:45 p.m. after reports of gunfire. Martin was transported to UnityPoint Health–Allen Hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
An autopsy conducted on September 12, 2018, by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Martin died from a single gunshot wound, according to a police press release.
Police records indicate that Martin had reported gunfire at her home multiple times in the years leading up to her death, though no injuries were documented during those earlier incidents.
Martin’s death came just four months after the homicide of her son, Shavondes Martin, 22, who was found shot to death in an alley off South Street on May 31, 2018. Authorities have stated they do not know whether the two cases are connected.
“We don’t know if she was the target,” said Waterloo Police Maj. Joe Leibold at the time. “It could be a random house shooting at this point. We don’t know if there is a connection between him being shot and her being shot.”
Neighbors have described frequent gunfire in the area. One neighbor, Beverly Sanders, told reporters that hearing gunshots had become a regular occurrence in the neighborhood.
Shavondes Martin had previously been acquitted in a 2016 homicide case. In connection with his death, his cousin, Danaesha Martin, was later arrested and charged with murder and is awaiting trial.
No arrests have been made in Diane Martin’s homicide, and the case remains unsolved.
Diane Martin was born February 14, 1970, in Greenwood, Mississippi, to Frankie Mae Martin and Arthur Johnson. She worked various jobs in Mississippi and later in Waterloo.
She is survived by her parents; two sons, DeAndre Smith and Carderrius Smith, both of Waterloo; three granddaughters; two sisters; four brothers; and numerous extended family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her son Shavondes Martin, her grandparents, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Private family services were held on September 20, 2022, at Sanders Funeral Service.
