Who was behind the Kentucky triple murder case? 'Dateline's new episode reveals chilling details of gruesome killings
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: PSA Airlines pilot Christian Kit Martin was revealed as the perpetrator behind the chilling triple murders of Kentucky residents Calvin Phillips, Pamela Phillips, and Edward Dansereau, who were also his neighbors.
NBC's 'Dateline' episode titled 'The Evil That Watches', which airs on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 9 pm ET, delves into the 2015 triple murder in the small town of Pembroke, Kentucky.
Three neighbors, driven by a desire to help an abused woman and her son, found themselves stumbling upon deep-seated secrets. Little did they know that their discovery might have played a tragic role in the loss of their own lives. The unfolding episode paints a disturbing picture of Martin's crimes, a chilling tale of good intentions colliding with hidden darkness, creating a gripping greusome case.
The official synopsis states, “A triple murder sends shockwaves through a small Kentucky town. As secrets come tumbling out, residents begin to wonder: how well do we really know our neighbors? Keith Morrison reports.”
What happened to Calvin and Pamela Phillips, and Edward Danseraus?
According to NBC News, on November 18, 2015, Calvin Phillips was discovered fatally shot in his Pembroke, Kentucky home. The bodies of his wife, Pamela Phillips, and neighbor Edward Dansereau were subsequently found in a cornfield inside a burned car.
In 2019, police arrested Christian Martin, a pilot for PSA Airlines (a subsidiary of American Airlines), in connection with the murders that occurred around November 18, 2015. The 58-year-old Pamela Phillips and her 63-year-old neighbor, Edward Dansereau, were found burned in Pamela's vehicle, which was completely torched and abandoned in a cornfield.
Calvin, Pamela's husband, had been shot to death in their home before the bodies were incinerated.
How did the police find the victims' bodies?
On November 18, 2015, a burnt car was discovered in a cornfield near Pembroke. The burnt remains inside were identified as Pamela, aged 58, and Edward Dansereau, aged 63. Both victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Tracing the car back to Pamela's home, the police uncovered another gruesome crime scene. In the cellar, they found Pamela's husband, Calvin, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The killer had attempted to burn his body unsuccessfully and had closed the cellar doors in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Why did Christian 'Kit' Martin kill his neighbours?
Days before his military court-martial, Christian Martin committed the killings, intending to prevent his neighbor Calvin from testifying against him. Calvin, along with his wife Pamela and neighbor Edward Dansereau, had been helping Kit Martin's ex-wife Joan Harmon and her son Justin relocate due to alleged abuse.
Two weeks before the murders, Calvin was set to testify against Kit in a military trial where Kit faced accusations of physical and sexual abuse, mishandling classified military materials, and abuse of a child under 16.
During the move, the neighbors discovered evidence of abuse against Justin and classified materials labeled as "secret operation". They reported their findings to the FBI, leading to Kit's military court-martial.
However, Martin's abusive behavior can be traced back to emotional suffering, which he claimed stemmed from discovering that his wife, Joan, was already married when they wed in 2004.
This revelation, hidden by Joan, became a significant factor contributing to the strain in their marriage. Feeling betrayed and misled, Martin struggled with the emotional impact of this hidden truth. Consequently, Joan sought the assistance of Calvin and Pamela to leave Martin, further intensifying the tensions within the marital relationship.
In an attempt to obstruct the testimony and seek revenge for the exposure of his wrongdoing, Kit Martin killed his neighbors, who had assisted his estranged wife and son.
When was Christian 'Kit' Martin convicted?
In May 2016, seven months after the triple homicide, Kit Martin was found guilty of two counts of simple assault and two counts of mishandling classified information. Despite the convictions, Martin argued that he had no motive to commit the murders of Pamela and Calvin Phillips and Edward Dansereau, asserting that Calvin was supposed to be his "star witness" in the court-martial.
Later, Martin was arrested in 2019 for the triple homicide just before one of his flights was scheduled to take off. Following the brutal murders of his neighbors, he had relocated to North Carolina. Martin, who was also a neighbor of the victims, continued to maintain his innocence, deeming the charges against him as "stupid".
After his conviction in the triple murders, according to criminal records, he received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Additional prison terms included 20 years for burglary and five years for tampering with physical evidence.
Assistant Attorney General Barbara Whaley characterized the murders as "a cold-blooded, calculated, military-style operation".
Whaley asserted that only Martin had both the means and motive to carry out the murders.
Forensic investigators also matched a bullet casing from the crime scene to a .45-caliber firearm found in a safe in Martin's home.
'Dateline' Season 32 airs new episodes every Friday at 8 pm ET on NBC, and is available for streaming on Peacock the following day.