Woman was dismembered to collect her insurance: roommate found guilty in New York

Cory Martin was found guilty of strangling and dismembering a sex worker in Brooklyn (NYC) to collect on life insurance policies taken out after her death.

According to evidence in the trial for the violent death of Brandy Odom (26), Martin (36) was a pimp who was inspired by the television shows “Dexter” and “The First 48” to learn how to dispose of a corpse and the police investigation techniques, highlighted DailyNews.

I waited six years. That’s a monster that’s off the street right now.”

After a two-week trial, a Brooklyn Federal Court jury found Martin guilty of killing Odom, a 26-year-old woman whose limbless torso was found in Canarsie Park on April 9, 2018.

Martin committed the brutal crime to collect $200,000 in life insurance taken out in Odom’s name. He was found guilty of all charges against him, which included murder for hire – which carries a mandatory life sentence -, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He will be sentenced on July 23.

Odom’s body was identified by his distinctive tattoo of the word “chocolate” and police found his limbs nearby in trash bags the next day.

“I waited six years,” his mother, Nicole Odom, said after Monday’s verdict. “That’s a monster that’s off the street right now.”

Martin and his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Adelle Anderson, lived with Odom at his home in Rosedale, Queens (NYC) and he was her pimp, she testified. Over the course of a day and a half of testimony, the woman described the murder plot, explaining how Martin watched “Dexter,” a show about a serial killer who murders other criminals and cuts up their bodies, to prepare.

Prosecutors said Martin researched power tools and went to Home Depot after strangling Odom, returning with a saw to cut off Odom’s limbs.

Martin had Anderson cover the bathroom from floor to ceiling with garbage bags, then spent the next two days on his grim task, cutting flesh and bone while wearing black clothing and Timberland boots, the woman testified. She took off that suit every time she left the bathroom, to avoid tracking down evidence in the rest of the house, she added.

Martin’s defense attorneys placed the blame entirely on Anderson, saying she had killed Odom out of jealousy because the victim was having an affair with him. But in the end the jury believed Anderson and the evidence presented by prosecutors to corroborate her account of what happened to her.

Martin and Anderson were arrested together in New Jersey for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in November 2020 for taking out policies for Odom and trying to collect on them after killing her. A month after Anderson settled the case, Martin was charged with murder for hire.

Odom’s family did not give Anderson any credit for taking the stand against Martin and said she should receive the same fate as him when she is sentenced in June.

“Martin saw the victim as a source of income, trafficking her for commercial sex and then, after killing her with his bare hands, throwing away her sacrificed body parts as trash so he could profit from her death,” the victim summarized. Monday, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “Brandy Odom suffered an unthinkable death at the hands of the defendant, but her life mattered, and I hope this verdict holding the defendant accountable brings some closure to her family.”

Domestic violence is common in New York City and surrounding areas, between relatives, roommates and partners, even with minor victims. Every day in NYC, an average of 747 incidents of domestic violence are reported, including assaults, abuse, verbal abuse, and about 65 homicides annually.

If you are a victim or suspect that someone is being abused, especially if it is a minor or elderly:

I looked for help

• Call 911, 988 or (800)-942-6906.
• Text “WELL” to 65173.
• Review information at https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/es/ and www.988lineadevida.org