Killer says he’s sorry, then blames his victim

Kim Smith

Friday, May 26, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Moments before being sentenced to life in prison Thursday, convicted killer Carl Lee Martin apologized Thursday for taking the lives of Joseph Smith's son and daughter-in-law.

Then he placed the blame on the younger Smith's lifestyle.

"You got my deepest apologies, man," Martin said. "But he knew the life we was in when we got into it."

It wasn't clear what Martin was referring to and Joseph Smith Jr. told Martin he didn't know what he was talking about.

Martin was convicted of first-degree murder in the April 1992 deaths of Joseph Smith III and his wife of one year, Vikki. He appealed the conviction and in July 1997, the Nevada Supreme Court overturned it and ordered a new trial.

Martin, however, opted to plead guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and on Thursday District Judge John McGroarty gave Martin two five-year to life sentences that must be served one after the other.

In addition, McGroarty gave Martin a two- to six-year sentence for getting into an altercation with a prison inmate while awaiting his appeal. That sentence will be served at the same time as the life sentences.

The Smiths were each shot three times in the head and valuables were stolen from their home. There was also some evidence that Vikki Smith had been sexually assaulted.

The conviction of Martin's co-defendant, Ronald Ducksworth Jr., was upheld and he is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Martin, whose family has been acquainted with the Smiths' for years, had asked McGroarty to let him serve the battery sentence concurrently with the life sentences, saying that would allow him to work in the prison system and provide some income for his daughter. He said he deserved the concurrent sentence because he has educated himself while in prison and regrets his youthful transgressions.

Joseph Smith Jr. told McGroarty that Martin came to his home after the murders and denied having anything to do with them. He later learned that the cellular phone Martin was carrying that day belonged to his son.

Smith said his grandson asks about his father constantly.

"All I want is for him to get what my son and daughter-in-law got. They got forever. There's no appeal from that," Smith said.