In a deeply unsettling case, a Georgia man has been arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, followed by the theft of her vehicle, as confirmed by local authorities in Georgia.

Addison Martinez, aged 37, faces multiple serious charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, family violence, and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. These charges relate to the tragic death of his 59-year-old mother, Vida Martinez, as per a recent indictment from a Chatham County grand jury.

The incident took place in late October 2025, within an apartment on Oyster Shell Road situated on Wilmington Island, which is approximately 10 miles southeast of Savannah. This quiet community was shaken by the events that unfolded.

Vida Martinez was discovered by her daughter under horrific circumstances, according to reports by WTOC, a Savannah-based CBS affiliate. Authorities confirmed that the victim suffered at least one stab wound, as noted by the Chatham County Police Department in conjunction with the county coroner’s office.

Vida Martinez is remembered fondly in her obituary, which paints a picture of a beloved individual whose tragic end has deeply affected her community.

The slain woman’s obituary remembers her fondly:

Vida was a dearly devoted mother; her grandchildren especially being her pride and joy…

She was a woman of steadfast faith, a collector of art, and a purveyor of all things beautiful. Vida brought endless amounts of joy and laughter to all that knew her. An eternal optimist, always with a helping hand and a most generous heart – she was a true blessing to this world.

That same night, officers found the victim’s vehicle abandoned in a commercial parking lot in Pooler, a small city located some 20 miles northwest of the victim’s residence. That discovery led investigators to identify the defendant as a person of interest, police said.

Law enforcement circulated a photograph of Addison Martinez said to have been taken by his mother the day before she was killed as a multi-agency manhunt ensued and officers combed the area.

Addison Martinez appears in a photo circulated during a manhunt in late October 2025 (Chatham County Police Department).

On Oct. 28, 2025, the day after the woman’s body was found, her son was arrested at a Parker’s gas station in the same general area.

“They had a friend who lived in the same apartment complex and had actually heard screams from the interaction with the victim,” an employee at a store near the apartment complex told the TV station.

The defendant was taken into custody, questioned, and initially charged with one count of felony murder.

Just five days before the slaying, on Oct. 22, 2025, Addison Martinez had was released on bond from jail in Glynn County on charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threats and acts, WTOC reported. The defendant’s bond was $178 in that earlier case. He had spent eight months in jail prior to his release.

Addison Martinez is being detained in the Chatham County Jail with no bond.