An American Airlines subsidiary pilot was arrested yesterday at the airlines/tsa-expecting-record-crowds-at-louisville-airport-for-2019-kentucky-derby.html” target=”_self” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Louisville International Airport for the murder of three people in 2015.
Christian R. Martin was indicted by a Christian County grand jury on Friday in the November 2015 deaths of Calvin and Pamela Phillips and their neighbor Edward Dansereau.
Calvin Phillips, 59, was shot and discovered dead in the cellar of his home while Pamela Phillips, 58, and Dansereau, 63, were discovered burned in Pamela’s car in a cornfield a few miles away. It’s unclear what the motives for the murders were.
Following the murder of the three individuals, Martin moved to North Carolina and has been a pilot for PSA Airlines since January 2018. His 2015 mug shot shows him wearing a pilot’s uniform. He was arrested at airlines/louisville-airport-renamed-to-honor-muhammad-ali.html” target=”_self” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Louisville Mohammed Ali Airport on Saturday.
Ashley Martin (no relation to the pilot) and her mother Francis Wise were waiting to board the flight that Christian Martin was supposed to pilot when the arrest occurred. They originally thought he might have been arrested for intoxication, but the reality was far scarier.
A pilot for an American Airlines (@AmericanAir) subsidiary @PSAAirlinesInc Christian Richard Martin was indicted on three counts of murder in relation to the deaths of Calvin and Pamela Phillips, and Edward Dansereau. @wbkotv https://t.co/STPeAInY7c
— Adam (@FlyinAdamBadger) May 12, 2019
“It was very tense,” Wise told WDRB. “I think it was very tense. You could tell the employees knew something was going on.”
“It’s startling,” said passenger Ashley Martin. “It’s scary to think this happened so long ago, and they’re just now getting around to catching the guy.”
American Airlines says they are cooperating with the investigation and that a criminal background check didn’t find any “criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot,” the airline said.
“All of us at American Airlines and PSA Airlines are deeply saddened to have learned about these allegations from 2015. Our team was made aware of the indictment this morning after his arrest at Louisville International Airport,” American Airlines said in a statement.
“We have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members, and we will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation.”
Martin is being held on murder, arson, burglary and tampering with physical evidence charges without bond in the Christian County Detention Center.
“I hope this is a day that brings some justice to these families,” Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear said. “There are many steps from here, but we hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up, that we can truly get important results for these families.”
Family members of the victims released a statement: “Every day, we are haunted by what was done to them and haunted further that someone was still free to do as they wish, beyond the civility of mankind or laws of our nation. We look forward to justice in court, and we look forward to a verdict to bring an end to this terror, and a fresh start at healing.”
