Judge orders reduced sentence in Martin's criminal vehicular homicide case

GRAND RAPIDS — An Itasca County judge heeded the requests of both the prosecution and defense by granting a lighter sentence Monday, Aug. 3, for a rural Grand Rapids woman who pleaded guilty to felony criminal vehicular homicide.

Cynthia “Cyndy” Martin was sentenced to 364 days in the Itasca County Jail for leaving the scene the night of July 3, 2024, after she struck a 19-year-old pedestrian on Highway 169 near Nashwauk.

Martin must also spend each Fourth of July holiday in jail during her five-year probation period, complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $1,085 fine and comply with several other conditions of probation upon release.

Judge Heidi Chandler explained to about 45 people in attendance how she reached her decision to grant a downward dispositional departure, or less than the recommended sentence. She said Martin has shown remorse and accepted responsibility for her actions that led to Carter Haithcock’s death, is particularly amenable to complying with probation and has broad support of friends and family.

Ahead of Monday’s hearing, Martin’s defense team submitted 38 letters of support that attested to her selfless and kind character, her volunteerism and strong work ethic, and her commitment to the community.

Chandler acknowledged Martin has struggled immensely because of her actions in this case, but not before addressing the extreme hardships faced by the victim’s family.

“Nothing that can happen out of this courtroom will ever bring Carter back,” Chandler said. “I don’t know what the right word is for Carter’s family. ... I truly feel for you. I have lost family members, but not in the way you have. ... He was a young man with a lot of life ahead of him.”

Chandler made the ruling at the end of an emotional hearing in a courtroom filled with the families and supporters of both Martin and Haithcock. Many cried throughout the proceedings.

John Haithcock Jr. spoke of his family’s loss while making a victim impact statement about his son, a 2023 Nashwauk High School graduate and young father who worked at Yanmar.

“There are three other parents whose lives are destroyed. He had 14 nieces and nephews who don’t understand,” Haithcock Jr. said. “ ... He has a son growing up without a father, whose life is also destroyed.”

Haithcock Jr. expressed frustration with Martin’s plea deal, noting Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines call for a four-year prison sentence for someone like Martin, with no criminal history. He suggested she was getting a “slap on the wrist” because of her political affiliation.

“That’s what the guidelines are for,” Haithcock Jr. said. “ ... Try her like you try everybody.”

Assistant County Attorney Courtney Beck described the unusual circumstances of the case, which was heavily scrutinized because of Martin’s volunteer roles in local political party leadership. Martin was the chair of the 8th Congressional District DFL Party and vice-chair of the Itasca County DFL Party. Martin resigned from those positions in December 2025, shortly after reporting from the Minnesota Reformer highlighted a split in party support.

Beck said Martin was put to trial through social media, and both prosecutors and law enforcement received an extreme number of tips and letters calling her a murderer, accusing her of being intoxicated and demanding her imprisonment. She said none of these claims reflect the evidence the state actually possesses.

“She did not intend to hit Mr. Haithcock,” Beck said. “Ms. Martin did stop for 25 seconds, but she failed to investigate. If she had done so, we wouldn’t be sitting here today. A tragic accident became a criminal matter.”

Beck outlined each of the reasons the state agreed to Martin’s deal to plead guilty and why it also agreed Martin should receive a lighter sentence than usual. Defense Attorney Derek Hansen thanked Beck for explaining the sentencing guidelines and the reasons judges may depart from them.

“Nobody is going to walk out of his courtroom feeling like they won,” Hansen said.

He said Martin had unequivocally accepted responsibility at the time of her plea hearing and described a woman whose life was turned upside down by the collision. He said Martin had attempted to take her own life on one or two occasions since.

Martin choked back tears as she read a prepared statement expressing her sincere condolences and apologizing to Haithcock’s family.

“I think of Carter all the time,” Martin said. “Not only was a life lost, but a family was forever changed.”

Martin described her grief and shame, saying she’s been forced to confront the consequences of her actions.

“I should have stopped. I should have done more. I deeply regret that decision,” she said. “ ... I understand my suffering does not compare to the suffering of Carter’s family. I am so, truly sorry. If I could change what happened, I would do it immediately.”

After a five-minute recess, the judge returned to make her ruling. Chandler said as someone who has litigated on both sides of criminal matters, she recognized how difficult this case was for all involved. After overseeing the proceedings since charges were filed in November 2024, Chandler described reviewing all documents, notes, statements and arguments before reaching her decision to depart from sentencing guidelines.

The judge acknowledged she shared concerns described by Beck over some of the statements Martin made during her presentence investigation interview that cast doubt on her acceptance of responsibility. Chandler said she was “flabbergasted” by Martin’s answers in that report, noting they were very different than the remorse she showed during her plea hearing.

But Chandler said she ultimately believed Martin’s therapy records and her statements in the courtroom demonstrated her sincere remorse. Itasca County Attorney Jacob Fauchald previously said his office would not offer a plea agreement without Martin admitting to the crime as charged. Her therapy records were introduced to “move the needle” toward an agreement, defense attorney Hansen said in May.

Chandler granted a stay of execution for a 48-month prison sentence, noting if Martin violated the terms, she would serve a total of 32 months in confinement and 16 months on supervised release. Chandler confirmed with Beck that there was no request for restitution from Haithcock’s family.

Martin was remanded into the custody of the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office to begin serving her sentence at the hearing’s conclusion.

Members of Haithcock’s family could be heard disagreeing with Chandler’s ruling as she spoke. In an interview after the hearing, John Haithcock Jr. said he felt the prosecuting attorney provided a better defense than Martin’s own team. He also said he was not convinced by Martin’s apology.

“I’ve watched a lot of people express remorse when they had to,” he said.

Prosecutors previously stated they’d met with Haithcock’s family multiple times concerning the plea deal, and while they were apprehensive at first, they ultimately did not object.

History of the case

Haithcock was first discovered by a passerby, who called 911 and reported a person lying in the middle of the road at 11:18 p.m. July 3, 2024. While the reporting party was on the phone with dispatchers, another vehicle ran over Haithcock.

Responders found Haithcock with extensive injuries and pronounced him dead shortly after arriving. Based on the debris field and lack of damage to the vehicle, officers believed another vehicle had previously struck Haithcock.

The criminal complaint stated Haithcock spent the evening at the Nashwauk street dance and then decided to walk home after an argument with a former romantic partner. Toxicology showed alcohol and THC in his system.

Martin called to report her possible involvement in the incident just before 6 a.m. the next morning. She told law enforcement she spent the day of the crash at Fourth of July parades in Aurora and Gilbert, had dinner in Mountain Iron and then drove home to rural Grand Rapids.

She was on the phone with someone at the time of the crash. According to that person’s statement, Martin said she hit something, and they told her to call 911. She then called them back and said nothing was wrong with her vehicle, and something only hit her windshield.

Crash data from Martin’s vehicle showed she drove below the speed limit and then hit her brakes just before the crash, according to the complaint. Surveillance footage from the Nashwauk Sinclair gas station showed a vehicle with a single headlight briefly stopping near the crash site just before the body was reported. Footage showed Martin’s vehicle entering Grand Rapids with one working headlight about 20 minutes later.

A crash reconstruction determined Haithcock’s body was thrown 138 feet at a speed of 43 to 52 mph.

Martin told law enforcement she thought she hit an owl or a turkey. After she reported she'd consumed two halves of a 5-milligram pill of hydrocodone over the course of the day of the crash, a DWI investigation occurred. The results of Martin's blood test were negative for all the substances for which it was tested, according to court files. Martin was not charged with DWI.

On July 8, a witness reported to law enforcement that he had seen a person wearing dark clothing in the middle of the left lane on Highway 169 in that location. The witness stated he nearly hit the person, and they would have been difficult to see in the dark.

Charges were not filed against Martin until more than four months later on Nov. 19, 2024.

An online petition was launched seeking justice for Haithcock. The petition has garnered 1,014 signatures to date. Itasca County Sheriff Joe Dasovich responded to the petition online in May 2025.

“Please know that my office is committed to a full, thorough, and fact-based investigation. We owe that to the truth, to justice, and to everyone involved,” Dasovich wrote.

“At the same time, we must allow the legal process to work. The court system exists to find truth through evidence, not emotion. Justice cannot and should not be decided on social media. It must be done the right way — fairly, honestly, and according to the law.”

Martin’s defense team sought a venue change because of the scrutiny, citing discussions in a Grand Rapids-based Facebook group and the potential for witnesses to be intimidated by criticism in the media and within the community. The defense stated that Martin would not receive a fair trial in Itasca County. This motion was denied, along with motions to dismiss the case and to suppress evidence.