Jerry Duane Martin, 43, was executed by lethal injection in Texas on December 3, 2013, for his role in the 2007 death of Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer Susan Canfield during a failed escape attempt from the Wynne Unit in Huntsville. Martin’s case spanned several years of legal proceedings after he and fellow inmate John Ray Falk Jr. overpowered a guard while assigned to a prison work detail and fled the facility, leading to the confrontation that cost Canfield her life.
At the time of the offense, Martin was serving a 50‑year sentence for aggravated assault and attempted capital murder. On September 24, 2007, he and Falk were part of a field squad working outside the prison perimeter when they struggled with an officer to seize her firearm. Martin then stole a City of Huntsville truck from nearby property and, in the course of fleeing, drove the vehicle into Officer Canfield and her horse, knocking her from the saddle and causing fatal injuries.
After abandoning the stolen truck, evidence shows Martin and Falk attempted to evade capture by carjacking another vehicle and leading law enforcement on a brief pursuit before ultimately being arrested later that day. Both men were charged with capital murder for Canfield’s death. In December 2009, a Walker County jury convicted Martin and sentenced him to death. Falk’s trial later resulted in a mistrial, and he remains in custody awaiting a new proceeding.
Martin chose to waive further appeals, expressing at times that he felt the evidence was sufficient and that he would not pursue extended legal challenges. This decision accelerated the execution process after years on Texas death row, which is part of the state’s penal system housed at the Walls Unit in Huntsville.
On the evening of his execution, Martin addressed the family of Officer Canfield, offering an apology and taking responsibility for the outcome of his actions, though at times he suggested the fatality was not intentional. He also spoke with his own family, saying he was “at peace” and expressing love before the lethal injection was administered.
Texas protocols do not allow special last meal requests for death row inmates, and Martin was served the standard prison meal prior to his execution, consistent with state practice since formal last meal requests were discontinued in 2011.
The execution of Jerry Duane Martin marked the conclusion of a violent episode that began with a prison escape gone wrong and ended with the death of a veteran corrections officer. Law enforcement officials and Canfield’s family viewed the execution as a formal end to a case that had deeply affected the Huntsville community and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for years.
