Martez Marino Diaz, 30, was fatally shot in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 12, 2015. Authorities determined his death to be a homicide and linked the killing to local narcotics activity.

Court testimony in a later federal drug case identified Kimani I. Sterling as the primary suspect. A co-defendant, Antwanette Howard, testified that the shooting arose from a dispute over a cocaine transaction and that Sterling used a .40 caliber handgun he often carried. A cellmate, Mylin Smith, later said Sterling had confessed to the killing during an April 2018 argument about the drug trade.

Those allegations about Diaz’s death were introduced by prosecutors during Sterling’s federal sentencing for conspiracy and distribution counts and were cited in support of a sentence enhancement.

If anyone knew Martez Diaz or has information about the shooting, please come forward to assist the ongoing inquiries.