DATE: August 9, 2024
CASE: Martin Lackey-Garcia (Case #20FE004111)
PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Frederick Gotha, Homicide Unit
The Honorable Ernest Sawtelle sentenced Martin Lackey-Garcia to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On July 11, 2024, a jury convicted Lackey-Garcia of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. The jury also found true a special circumstance of multiple murders.
On February 28, 2020, Martin Lackey-Garcia went to the Wellness and Recovery Center in Carmichael and met with a counselor. Lackey-Garcia became enraged and attacked the counselor, fatally stabbing her multiple times. When a receptionist tried to save her, Lackey-Garcia stabbed the receptionist multiple times. That victim survived her injuries, including fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. Lackey-Garcia then entered the building courtyard and chased employees of the wellness center. When one of the employees fell to the ground while attempting to flee, Lackey-Garcia stabbed him in the back and slashed his arm. That victim survived but also suffered severe injuries including a severed artery. As employees fled the building, Lackey-Garcia re-entered the office and stabbed a fourth victim, killing him. Lackey-Garcia then exited the building and was soon apprehended by law enforcement.
