Honduran police make arrest in 2009 shooting of Martensville man

Family of a Martensville man say they are relieved to hear an arrest has been made 7 years after his death.

Dallas Martens was shot and killed Sept. 18, 2009 during an apparent robbery on the tropical island of Roatán, Honduras. He was 31.
 
Verna Martens, Dallas’ mom, said she got the call Saturday from a Canadian warden in Roatán. He informed her Charles Felix Sanders Webster had been arrested for plotting and being an accessory to the murder. She said she was told Webster was also accused of withholding evidence from police.
 
Verna said she’s trying not to get her hopes too high after waiting so long for any news.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that we are going to find the truth and justice we have been praying for for seven years,” she said.
 
She said not knowing exactly what happened has made it especially hard to come to terms with Dallas’ death.
 
“It’s really hard to fathom that someone hated my son so much they wanted him dead,” she said.
 
Verna said her relationship with Dallas’ widow broke down after he was killed, amid speculation and rumour that she’d had some involvement in the murder. She said they haven’t spoken in years and she’s not sure if the chance to finally get some solid facts in the case would help mend fences.
 
“I don’t know. You know — I want truth and I want justice. It might. It might,” she said.
 
Dallas and his wife were newlyweds in 2009 when they travelled to Honduras to adopt a young boy. Verna said the boy was returned to his birth family following her son’s death.

– With files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker.