A man was automatically sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole after a jury convicted him of capital murder in the Fort Worth shooting deaths of two men, including the gunman’s cousin.
Jurors at the trial in Tarrant County’s 297th District Court found Alfredo Cantu Martinez, 45, of Dallas, guilty of capital murder of multiple persons.
One of the victims, 26-year-old Martin Hernandez Jr. picked up Martinez, who was his cousin, in Dallas on April 23, 2024, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
The cousins drove to Fort Worth, where they planned to visit several people, including 24-year-old Michael Cantu, the district attorney’s office said in a news release.
Martinez and Hernandez spoke with Cantu outside his home, and the three men walked toward an alley, which was out of sight of Cantu’s girlfriend, prosecutors said. The girlfriend was sitting nearby in a car with the hood raised. Moments later, she heard gunshots, followed by silence.
The woman found her boyfriend and Hernandez lying in the alley, suffering from gunshot wounds. She called 911.
Cantu was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. Hernandez was shot multiple times and died after he was taken to a hospital.
Officers found Martinez running away from the crime scene, prosecutors said.
“We should all be frightened of that man,” Assistant District Attorney D.J. Estes told the jury. “He’s guilty. He took two lives.”
Estes prosecuted the case with ADA Lauren Lawrence.