Nathan Charles Martin

Nathan Charles Martin was a shy, friendly, and kind-hearted young man from Tyler, Texas, who was remembered by friends as having a heart of gold. The 20-year-old White man, who attended White House High School, was described as goofy and someone who always knew how to make people smile, making sure to never leave anyone out.

On the night of February 7, 2024, at approximately 11:40 p.m., Tyler police officers responded to a report of a person lying in the road at the intersection of Highway 69 North and County Road 489. They arrived to find Nathan deceased from gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that after Nathan was shot, his Ford Mustang was stolen. The car was later located wrecked and unoccupied.

In the early hours of February 8, authorities found a man, Joshua Renae Bryant, about 500 feet from where Nathan’s body was discovered. The 25-year-old was allegedly breaking into a vehicle and was arrested for burglary and possession of suspected crack cocaine and ecstasy. During questioning, Bryant told investigators he had been with Nathan earlier that night. He claimed they had visited a smoke shop where he consumed a THC gummy, and that Nathan later asked him to drive the Mustang because he was tired. When asked about the shooting, Bryant said he had "blacked out" and had no memory of the incident.

The investigation soon led police to a second suspect, 16-year-old Caleb Austin Ward of Whitehouse. On February 16, Ward was arrested without incident in Anderson County and booked into the Smith County Juvenile Detention Center. Both Ward and Bryant were subsequently charged with capital murder in connection with Nathan Martin’s death.

Caleb Ward, who was 16 at the time of the crime, was tried as an adult. In October 2025, he appeared in court and pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. According to the prosecutor, Ward and another man were in the car with Nathan when Ward shot him and stole his Mustang. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. During the hearing, Nathan’s father delivered a victim impact statement, telling Ward, "You are alive. You have a sentence. My son is dead... When you get out, my son will still be dead.” As of October 2025, Ward had been convicted and sentenced for his role in Nathan's murder.