Former Army major turned American Airlines pilot, 51, is arrested for the 2015 murders of three neighbors - a musician and a married couple - who accused him of 'raping a child' and beating his stepson
- Christian Martin, 51, was arrested at Louisville International Airport on Saturday
- He has been accused of killing Calvin and Pamela Phillips and Edward Dansereau
- Victims were slain in November 2015 and bodies were found in burned out car
- In 2015, Martin faced child rape and mishandling classified information charges
- Prosecutors had Calvin Phillips listed as a potential witness for the that case
- Calvin was killed before he testified and Martin was convicted of lesser offenses
- However Martin was a person of interest in the deaths of the victims at the time
- On Friday, Martin was indicted on three counts of first degree murder, arson, attempted arson, burglary and three counts of tampering with evidence
By
Valerie Edwards and
Chauncey Alcorn For Dailymail.com
Published: 02:32 EDT, 12 May 2019 | Updated: 17:04 EDT, 12 May 2019
Christian Martin (pictured), 51, who has been accused of murdering three people in 2015 was arrested in Kentucky on Saturday
A commercial airline pilot accused of murdering three people and burning their bodies beyond recognition in 2015 was arrested at a Kentucky airport on Saturday.
Christian Richard Martin, 51, of Apex, North Carolina, who reportedly flies planes for an American Airlines subsidiary company, was taken into custody at Louisville International Airport early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Investigators said Martin is the man who shot 59-year-old Calvin Phillips to death in the cellar of his Pembroke, Kentucky home in November 2015.
Calvin's wife, Pamela Phillips, 58, and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau, 63, were found a few miles away in a cornfield inside her burned out car.
The victims' bodies were burned beyond recognition, their family members said.
Attorney General Andy Beshear claimed that Martin shot his victims and used a car to transport the bodies of Pamela and Dansereau to a nearby cornfield where he set the vehicle on fire with the corpses inside.
While there has been no official motive given, Martin faced charges of child rape and mishandling classified information just before the murders. Martin, who is a former Fort Campbell Army Major, had also been accused of beating his stepson.
In that case, Calvin Phillips was listed as a potential witness for the prosecution.
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In November 2015, authorities found Calvin Phillips (left), 59, shot to death in the cellar of his home. His wife, Pamela Phillips (right), 58, was found a few miles away in a cornfield inside her burned out car
The couple's neighbor, Edward Dansereau (pictured), 63, was also found in the burning vehicle alongside Pamela
At the time, Calvin Phillips, Martin's next door neighbor, discovered that information on CDs and laptops, according to
Fox 17.
But Calvin was killed before he could testify against Martin and later went about his life working as a commercial airline pilot.
The child rape charges were later dropped against Martin, who has three children, and he was convicted of two counts of mishandling of classified material and two counts of assault of a child.
Martin was sentenced to three months in jail and was discharged from the military.
One one of the witnesses in the trial, and his wife, and Dansereau, were murdered he was named as a person of interest but was not charged with murder at the time.
According to the news station, Martin's defense team argued that the allegations against him were the product of a high-conflict marital situation.
American Airlines said that Martin has been a Bombardier CRJ First Officer for PSA Airlines since January 2018. American Airlines wholly-owns PSA Airlines, which operates an all-jet American Eagle fleet, the company told
WDRB.
'All of us at American Airlines and PSA Airlines are deeply saddened to have learned about these allegations from 2015.
'Our team was made aware of the indictment this morning after his arrest at Louisville International Airport,' an American Airlines spokesperson said.
'We have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members, and we will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation.'
The company said Martin has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.
A criminal background check conducted on Martin found no 'criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot,' the airline said.
His arrest happened in front of airport staffers and patrons. Martin was still wearing his pilot's uniform in a Christian County Jail mugshot photo released by officials.
'It was like something you would totally see in a movie,' witness Ashley Martin of Elizabethtown, Kentucky told WDRB.
'It was very tense,' added fellow witness Frances Wise who was waiting to board an American Airlines flight when the arrest happened. 'You could tell the employees knew something was going on,' she continued.
Martin faced charges of child rape and mishandling classified information before the murders. In that case, Calvin (left) was a potential witness. The case was assigned a special investigator after the couple's son, Matt Phillips (pictured as a boy), was worried the case had stalled
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies arrested Martin at Louisville International Airport (pictured) in the Bluegrass State's largest city early Saturday morning
The case was brought to Beshear's attention two years ago by the couple's son, Matt Phillips, who was worried the case had stalled.
Beshear accepted a request from the local commonwealth attorney to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case.
Relatives of Calvin and Pamela Phillips had offered a $100,000 reward to help solve the case.
On Friday, he was indicted on three counts of first degree murder, arson, attempted arson, burglary and three counts of tampering with evidence.
Martin moved from Christian County after the slayings and was living in North Carolina at the time of the indictment.
The victims' family members released a joint statement following Martin's arrest.
'Every day, we are haunted by what was done to them and haunted further that someone was still free to do as they wish, beyond the civility of mankind or laws of our nation,' the statement reads.
'We are overwhelmed with this positive step towards resolution for people we love dearly... We look forward to justice in court, and we look forward to a verdict to bring an end to this terror, and a fresh start at healing.'
During a press conference, Bashear said he hopes the suspect's arrest 'brings some justice' to the victims' families.
'There are many steps from here, but we hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up, that we can truly get important results for these families,' he added.
Martin is being held without bond at the Christian County Detention Center.
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