MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man who has been on the run for two years is now charged with killing a 16-year-old in a triple shooting last week.
Martell Haire, 37, is charged in connection with the Oct. 20 shooting that killed Marquis Champion, 16, and wounded two others near 79th and Hampton.
Home surveillance cameras captured a dozen gunshots and a man running from the scene.
Witnesses told police Haire "pulled out a black handgun and began shooting at the young boys sitting at the table 'for no reason.'" Champion was found dead inside a car, while the two other victims were rushed to the hospital.
Arrest warrants show Haire has been wanted by police for felony charges dating back to 2023. Two years ago, he was charged with sexually assaulting a child, two felonies that carry up to 60 years in prison if convicted. However, the case couldn't proceed because Haire failed to appear in court.
Watch: Milwaukee man charged in teen's shooting death, still on the run after being wanted for 2 years
Four months ago, Haire was charged again after police say he threatened to shoot someone. That criminal case is also stalled because he wasn’t arrested.
Wisconsin Department of Justice records show Haire has been charged with more than a dozen felonies dating back to 2004. State documents show a majority of them were dismissed or not prosecuted.
"I would call this egregious. Maybe somebody who fell through the cracks. I'm certainly not excusing it because it shouldn't have happened," said Jeanne Lupo, who leads a court watch program in Milwaukee County.
The program focuses on criminal cases and sentence lengths to monitor judges' decisions.
Lupo knows that criminal cases cannot proceed unless a suspect is arrested, booked, and makes an initial appearance — something that has yet to happen for Haire's three latest sets of charges.
When asked whether police put enough resources into finding Haire, Lupo said she would question whether there are enough available resources with police, noting they are understaffed.
"I wouldn't blame them. I would say either he's hard to find or he's not at the top of the list. He probably will be now," Lupo said.
"If I was the family of that 16-year-old, I'd want to know who dropped the ball," Lupo said.
MPD declined TMJ4's interview. Instead, a spokesperson provided the following information:
"Haire was arrested regarding the sexual assault offense on January 15, 2023; however, it was pended by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. Charges were re-issued on November 20, 2023."
"Unfortunately, I am unable to provide the number of times we sought this individual because we do not track specific subject wanted checks and call for this type would encompass all subject wanted checks. I am aware of officers investigated Haire for an unrelated incident and searched for him on of 12/1/2023; however, did not locate him. That incident was not processed."
"The Milwaukee Police Department continues to seek Haire and are requesting assistance from the public. Anyone with any information on Haire’s whereabouts is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
