The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control has announced the arrest of Wesley P. Marler, 69, of Bonne Terre, Missouri. Marler was arrested on August 30, 2024, in connection with the 1989 death of Jimmie Wade Martin, also of Bonne Terre. The investigation leading to Marler’s arrest was conducted by investigators from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control in collaboration with the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office.
On October 14, 1989, Jimmie Wade Martin was discovered with life-threatening injuries in front of a residence in Bonne Terre. He was later pronounced dead from his injuries at a hospital in Farmington, Missouri. In December 2020, members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, together with the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office, began a thorough review of the investigation into Martin’s death.
Following an exhaustive investigation, the case was presented to the St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. On August 22, 2024, a St. Francois County Grand Jury indicted Marler on one count of assault in the first degree. A warrant for Marler’s arrest was issued on August 30, 2024. He was located and taken into custody the same day by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office.
Marler was transported to the St. Francois County Jail, where he is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.
