A notorious Birmingham, Alabama, gang leader was found dead in his cell at the Limestone Correctional Facility on Monday.
Martez Seay had been serving a life sentence without parole after confessing to five homicides between 2008 and 2009, WVTM 13 News reported. In a 2011 statement, then-Birmingham homicide detective Sgt. Sam Noblitt described the convict as “one of the most violent and ruthless persons” he’d ever investigated.
Martez Seay was featured in a 2012 episode of “The First 48” during which his defense lawyer acknowledged on video that his client made chilling comments in private that raised the hairs on the back of the lawyer’s neck. Seay was found unresponsive Monday. https://t.co/YhhSLPbqnj
— AL.com (@aldotcom) August 9, 2023
Alabama Department of Correction (ADOC) officials said the 39-year-old inmate “was discovered unresponsive in his cell” and pronounced dead by a prison physician on the scene. (RELATED: ‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski Found Dead In Prison Cell)
The ADOC Law Enforcement Services Division has launched an investigation into the incident, and an autopsy is expected to reveal the cause of Seay’s death.
Police characterized Seay as the head of a violent criminal gang that included members of his own family, the outlet reported.
In collaboration with his girlfriend, Kandi Hawkins, Seay fatally shot Lonnie Vaughn in Center Point, Alabama, on May 3, 2009, the outlet noted.
In an effort to silence Hawkins following his arrest, Seay allegedly orchestrated an attempt on her life with the assistance of his mother, Yolanda Seay, per the outlet. This assault left Hawkins paralyzed from the chest down and led to Yolanda Seay’s conviction on conspiracy to commit murder charges, according to the report.
Evidence from related investigations linked Seay to four additional murders, WVTM 13 noted.
A 2012 episode of “The First 48” showcased the “cold-blooded” murderer, during which Seay allegedly confided to his defense attorney, “I wasn’t afraid to kill. I’m not afraid to die,” per AL News.
Seay’s siblings, Demarius and Cortez, were also reported by WVTM 13 to have been separately convicted on their own homicide charges and are currently serving life sentences.