Opening statements in Quarzone Martin murder trial set for Thursday

Opening statements in the trial for a Cedar Rapids man accused of fatally shooting one man and injuring another man on July 2 will start Thursday following three days of jury selection in Linn County District Court.

Quarzone Martin, 25, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, going armed with intent and willful injury causing serious injury. He is accused of fatally shooting Andrew Meeks, 26, and injuring Johnny Moore Jr., 30, both of Cedar Rapids, while they were in vehicle that crashed into a guard rail in the parking lot of the westside Wal-Mart on July 2.

Openings will be at 9 a.m. Thursday. The trial is expected to go into next week.

Martin has claimed self-defense. According to court documents, the defense will say Meeks and Moore tried to steal drugs from Martin, and Martin was forced to defend himself.

Police said Meeks and Moore were in a car that, after shots were fired, crashed into a guard rail at the Wal-Mart.

During a previous bond review, a judge said the trial information shows Martin got into a vehicle driven by Meeks, with Moore as a passenger, in the store's parking lot. Meeks drove around the parking lot and, at one point, Martin briefly got out.

He then jumped back into the car, which rolled into a guardrail, and Martin jumped out, dropping his cellphone in the process, according to court documents.

When police arrived, Martin was gone, and Meeks was dying from a gunshot wound to his neck, 6th Judicial District Chief Judge Patrick Grady stated in the bond ruling.

Moore had been shot in the chest from a bullet that apparently had gone through the car's front passenger seat, Grady said in his ruling.

Martin was arrested by U.S. Marshal's deputies in Chicago on Sept. 22, according to court documents.

l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com