Daniel Lee Martin Dies in Apparent Suicide: 4 Facts You Need to Know About the Country Singer
When Daniel Lee Martin died in an apparent suicide on Friday (Feb. 14), it brought a national focus to the country singer and reality TV star.
Martin reportedly took his own life as authorities in Pasco County, Fla., were preparing to arrest him again on charges of sexually abusing minors. He had already faced similar charges in both Tennesee and Florida, and when a SWAT team was dispatched to arrest him at home in Florida on Friday, they discovered him deceased from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.
Here are the important facts you need to know about Daniel Lee Martin:
- 1
He had a somewhat successful country music career
Daniel Lee Martin launched his dream of country music stardom in 1997, according to a biography at Allmusic.com, and a 1999 showcase in Nashville landed him a deal with Atlantic Records. That didn't work out, but he landed shows opening for Charlie Daniels, Willie Nelson and Vince Gill, and also performed at Fan Fair.
Martin released two albums; All That I Am in 2003, and 2007's On My Way to You.
- 2
He had a reality TV show focused on the oudoors
Martin's life was the focus of a show called Backstage and Backroads, which depicted his life in the country music business as well as his focus on being on outdoorsman. The clip above is from 2007.
- 3
He was indicted in Tennessee in 2018
A grand jury in Williamson County, Tenn., indicted Martin in September of 2018 on "four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of solicitation of a minor to commit rape of a child, two counts of indecent exposure and one count of solicitation of a minor" that took place from 2014-2018, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The victims' ages ranged from 9 to 12 years old.
- 4
He was arrested again in Florida in 2019
Martin was arrested in Florida in January of 2019 on misdemeanor and felony charges for exposure to and lewd acts on a child. The victim, who was under the age of 16, told police that Martin had exposed himself while they were on a couch together, fondled himself with lotion and shared pornographic images with the victim on several occasions when the victim spent the night at Martin's home.
A SWAT team arrived at Martin's Florida home on Friday (Feb. 14) to arrest him on "3 counts of sexual exploitation on a minor, along with aggravated sexual battery and solicitation of a minor to commit rape," the Tampa Bay Times reports. When they arrived at his house, they found him dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.