RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – A Tennessee appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Rutherford County man who was found guilty of multiple violent felonies stemming from a brutal 2021 domestic incident involving his wife.
Rex A. Martin, now 65, was convicted on two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, assault, preventing another from making an emergency call, possession of a firearm while under a court order, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. He was sentenced to 15 years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections and is currently incarcerated at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville.
Martin’s legal team filed an appeal arguing that there was insufficient evidence to justify the guilty verdicts. However, after a detailed review of the case, the appeals court found that the original trial was conducted fairly and that the evidence presented supported the jury’s decision. The conviction and sentence will remain in place.
The charges stem from a violent incident on the night of May 17, 2021, after a financial dispute between Martin and his wife escalated beyond verbal arguments. Court records reveal that after an exchange of heated text messages, Martin returned home from work and physically assaulted his wife. The assault involved punching her repeatedly in the head and face, choking her, and threatening her with a knife to her throat, causing a laceration.
During the terrifying encounter, the victim attempted to deescalate the situation by professing her love in hopes of calming her husband. Instead, Martin reportedly shouted, “Why did you make me do this? Why did you unleash the beast?”
The woman tried to escape by pretending to take their dog outside but was caught and forced back into the house. Martin then allegedly tied her hands and feet with tape and removed the doorknob from the bedroom door to prevent her from leaving. After he left the house, the victim managed to free herself and found an old cell phone to call 9-1-1. Martin returned shortly before police arrived, and officers took him into custody.
The victim required extensive medical treatment for her injuries, with some wounds taking over 18 months to heal. Martin’s sentence is set to end in 2036, when he will be approximately 76 years old.
The court’s rejection of his appeal closes another chapter in a harrowing case that drew attention for its brutal nature and the resilience of the survivor.
