U.S. Marshals apprehend Chevy Chase man suspected in death of parole officer

Emanuel Edward Sewell was taken into custody in West Virginia; charged with second-degree murder

June 1, 2024 11:54 p.m.

U.S. Marshal Service officers have apprehended a Chevy Chase man wanted in connection with the death of a state parole agent whose body was found Friday night in the man’s apartment, authorities announced Saturday night.

Emanuel Edward Sewell, 54, was taken into custody after U.S. Marshal Service Task Force officers conducted a traffic stop on I-64 near Hurricane, West Virginia, Montgomery County police said in a statement issued at 7:20 p.m. Saturday.

He has been charged with second-degree murder and will be extradited back to Montgomery County, police said.

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Montgomery County and state police had been searching for Sewell in connection with the death of Maryland Parole and Probation Agent Davis Martinez, according to authorities.

According to police, officers responded around 5:50 p.m. Friday to the 2800 block of Terrace Drive in Chevy Chase for a welfare check on the parole agent, who had not reported back to work after a “resident check” of Sewell. In the residence, officers found Martinez dead at the scene.

The parole agent’s body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, where his death was ruled a homicide. He “suffered multiple injuries,” according to police.

Martinez, 33, of Silver Spring, was a six-year employee of the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services, police said during a 5 p.m. Saturday press briefing at the county’s public safety headquarters in Gaithersburg. His death was ruled a homicide by the state medical examiner’s office.

“The loss is a tragedy. I want to extend my sympathies on behalf of County Executive [Marc] Elrich as well as the citizens of Montgomery County and men and women of the Department of Police,” police Chief Marcus Jones said during the briefing attended by Carolyn J. Scruggs, secretary of the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and county and department officials.

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Scruggs extended her condolences to Martinez’s family as well as agents within the parole and probation division. “We’ve had many conversations about our agent, and things like ‘professional,’ ‘diligent’ [and] ‘resilient’ are what we hear about Agent Martinez,” Scruggs said.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) noted in a statement Saturday night that Martinez was the first Maryland Division of Parole and Probation agent “alleged to have been killed by a client while on duty.”

“Agent Martinez served with distinction and our state is safer because of him—our entire state grieves his loss along with those he held dear,” Moore said. “I would like to thank our dedicated law enforcement community for their relentless and successful efforts in apprehending the suspect and for their unwavering pursuit of justice for Agent Martinez, his family, his friends and colleagues.”

During the search, Sewell, a registered sex offender released in March 2021, was considered possibly armed and dangerous, police said. The suspect was believed to be in possession of Martinez’s badge.

Maryland State Police issued a Blue Alert–an emergency notification to help law enforcement search for suspects when an officer has been killed or is missing or there is a threat to officers–to aid in the search.

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