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[The Tragic Betrayal of Martre Coles: A Dream Turned Into a Deadly Trap]-[The Death Mask (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)]

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories · B2 · 2022-04-04

True crime
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📋 Summary

The Fragile Dreamer

Martre Coles, a 16-year-old aspiring artist, lived in Highland Springs, Virginia. Following the sudden death of his mother, Karina Coles, in June 2014, Martre was left emotionally devastated. His mother had been his "number one cheerleader," encouraging his passion for anime and character design. Living in a household where his father, Maurice, was emotionally distant and critical, Martre found solace only in his art, hoping to one day attend art school and pursue a career as a video game animator.

A Household in Turmoil

Within a month of Karina's death, Maurice moved in his girlfriend, Denise Gay, and her daughter, Alana. This sudden change deeply distressed Martre. Over time, while Denise initially seemed to become a "maternal figure" to him, the relationship with his stepsister Alana deteriorated into "elaborate torment." Alana frequently vandalized Martre's sketches and masks, knowing Maurice would inevitably take her side. The tension escalated to violence in 2016 when Alana attempted to stab Martre with utility scissors, an event that left Martre feeling both furious and desperate to escape his "insane household."

The Deadly Deception

In March 2017, Martre received a life-changing email from "Sheila Crenshaw" at Full Sail University, inviting him for a campus tour. Overjoyed, Martre prepared for the journey. However, the email was a calculated trap orchestrated by Denise. Denise had grown to resent Martre, viewing him as a painful reminder of Maurice’s late wife and a threat to her family unit.

On March 12, 2017, the day Martre was meant to leave for Florida, Denise and her older daughter, Latoya, drugged Martre’s coffee with "trazodone" and "gamma-butyrolactone." As the drugs took effect, the two women attacked him in his bedroom. Denise crushed his chest and smothered him using one of Martre's own papier-mâché masks, while Latoya held him down. They subsequently hid his body in a storage bin and disposed of it in a nearby wooded area.

Justice Through a Whisper

For weeks, the family and Martre's girlfriend, Ashlyn, searched for him, while Maurice remained disturbingly indifferent. The truth finally emerged when Alana, unable to live with the secret of what she had witnessed, triggered a false burglar alarm on March 31st. When police arrived, she whispered the chilling confession: "I saw my mom kill my stepbrother."

Subsequent investigations revealed incriminating evidence, including the purchase of lime to prevent decomposition and digital records linking Denise to the fake university email. In July 2018, Denise Gay was sentenced to life in prison, while Latoya Gay received a 30-year sentence. Martre’s life, filled with artistic promise, was cruelly extinguished by the very people who were meant to provide him with a home.

🎯Key Sentences

1
no sane person would ever do this.
2
It begins here.
3
Martre was beyond devastated.
4
it was nice to hear her say things like that.
5
it turned into more elaborate torment.
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📝Key Phrases

1
cut in front of
2
make up one's mind
3
take someone's side
4
in denial about
5
call something into question
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📖 Transcript

In today's story, the most unlikely person did the most unlikely thing.
And even when you get to the end and you hear the details as to how and why they did it, it won't make sense because no sane person would ever do this.
But before we get into today's story...
If you're a fan of the strange, dark and mysterious Delivered in Story format, then you've come to the right podcast, because that's all we do, and we upload twice a week, once on Monday and once on Thursday.
So, if that's of interest to you, please cut in front of the five-star review button.
Who has been patiently waiting for their turn in the 10 items or less checkout line at the grocery store and then proceed to pay for your completely overflowing cart with a Ziploc bag full of change.

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