Man arrested in connection with 2007 homicide

A 20-year-old Spokane man has been arrested in connection with a 2007 homicide.

Derrick Gregory Martin-Armstead remains in the Spokane County Jail on $1 million bond after appearing in court Tuesday on a first-degree murder charge for the Nov. 12, 2007, shooting death of Daniel Burgess, 30.

An informant told detectives this month that Martin-Armstead had talked about his involvement in the case while in custody at the Spokane County Jail.

Martin-Armstead, who was 17 at the time of the homicide, allegedly told the informant that his girlfriend stole marijuana from two men, one of whom threw a wrench through …

A 20-year-old Spokane man has been arrested in connection with a 2007 homicide.

Derrick Gregory Martin-Armstead remains in the Spokane County Jail on $1 million bond after appearing in court Tuesday on a first-degree murder charge for the Nov. 12, 2007, shooting death of Daniel Burgess, 30.

An informant told detectives this month that Martin-Armstead had talked about his involvement in the case while in custody at the Spokane County Jail.

Martin-Armstead, who was 17 at the time of the homicide, allegedly told the informant that his girlfriend stole marijuana from two men, one of whom threw a wrench through his front window a week later. Martin-Armstead said his girlfriend then drove him and his cousin to the men’s home at 2413 N. Dakota Ave., where his cousin “got out of the car and shot a .22 revolver at the residence several times,” according to court documents filed Monday.

The investigation is ongoing, and more people could face charges, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe, spokeswoman for the Spokane Police Department.

Martin-Armstead was arrested Monday. He already has felony convictions for a marijuana robbery that occurred two weeks before Burgess’ death. In that case, Martin-Armstead shot a juvenile in the buttocks with a .22 revolver.

Burgess was shot with a .22 caliber bullet, according to court documents. The shooting occurred as he was inside the living room of his Dakota Avenue home. Burgess died of a gunshot wound to his chest.

Detectives say five bullets struck the east side of the home.

Witnesses reported seeing a 1996 Ford Thunderbird driving by the home just before the shooting. Detectives observed the same type of car at 1317 E. Dalton Ave. two days after the homicide.

A resident, Jaleesa Anderson, was dating Martin-Armstead. The two applied for a marriage license last year, according to court records.

Martin-Armstead denied being involved in Burgess’ murder in an interview with Spokane detectives in February 2008, but he implicated someone else and said the gun had been thrown from the Maple Street Bridge into the Spokane River.

Martin-Armstead was sentenced to prison in September 2008 for the first shooting, but police made no arrests in the Burgess case until Monday. An informant told detectives this month that Martin-Armstead talked about his involvement in the case while in custody at the Spokane County Jail in May and June 2008. The shooting was reportedly retaliation by Martin-Armstead’s gang for the wrench breaking their window.