Lance Cpl. Larry Martens, 21, and Lance Cpl. Rodney “Rocky” Padilla, 19, were found brutally murdered on Sept. 7, 1980. More than 45 years later, the cold case remains on people’s minds while DNA evidence could unseal truths long held below the surface.
A new episode of the true crime podcast APB Cold Case revisits the two military service members’ deaths and how no culprits to this day have been held responsible for what happened that fateful night in Hawaii.
The episode, titled “The K-Bay Killings,” examines and explores how Martens and Padilla—both stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii—were found beaten and shot near Maunalua Bay Beach Park just hours after leaving their base for a night out.
The podcast, hosted by career law enforcement officer Mark Spawn and his wife and TV producer, Jeanna, paints the picture of the crimes against the tropical backdrop of Oahu in the late 1970s and early 1980s—delving into the relationships between local communities and military personnel, and the lingering questions of the Marines’ deaths that for decades have not been answered.
“For us at APB Cold Case, we seek out cases like the ‘K-Bay Killings’ to tell the story of decades-old investigations that need to be told in order to bring renewed attention from the listening public in hope of leveraging the lead needed by police to solve the case,” Mark Spawn told Military.com. “Our podcasts feature original interviews with detectives and family members of murder victims and missing persons.”
Families of the victims continue to cling onto hope, as well as the power of technology. Newer DNA and forensic techniques nonexistent decades ago may be a way to crack the case.
NCIS Remains 'Committed' to Justice
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) reopened its investigation and is using forensic technology in its quest for answers, though officials said the two Marines' murders have never been forgotten.
“NCIS has worked tirelessly throughout this investigation, actively pursuing all leads and incorporating advanced and emerging investigative technologies to uncover the facts surrounding the tragic deaths of Lance Cpls. Larry Martens and Rodney Padilla,” Meredith March, spokesperson for the Office of Strategic Communications at NCIS, told Military.com. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain committed to ensuring the perpetrators of this crime are held to account.”
To this date, no murder suspects have ever been identified even though Honolulu Police investigated the matter in 1980.
“It was a Saturday night, and he was looking for somebody to go out in town with… that’s the last time I ever saw him alive,” former Marine Sgt. Dan Boatman, a friend of Martens, told APB.
Investigators now believe the two Marines were killed around 2 a.m. that September morning, which equates to an approximate five-hour window between when Martens and Padilla left their base and when they lost their lives.
Officials said the victims’ wallets were not taken, the car they used was not stolen, and no gunshots were reported in the vicinity.
“We know there was a witness,” NCIS Special Agent James Curry told ABP in the podcast episode that also features interviews with former Marines, investigators and family members. “Even if that witness is no longer with us, they probably told their family, their, their child or somebody who would now be of an adult age."
We need that person to come forward. - NCIS Special Agent James Curry
One of those family members is Padilla’s older brother, Joe, who is a retired law enforcement officer who for decades has advocated for officials and investigators to revisit the case. He and his elderly mother remain optimistic, to a point.
“I’d like to see some movement while she can still appreciate it,” Padilla told ABP. “We just want to know what happened.”
When asked about Curry’s remarks regarding witnesses, as well as how many leads investigators have received over the years, March said no further information regarding the case would be released “out of respect for the investigative process.”
$10,000 Reward
Mark Spawn said he came across this particular cold case due to a law enforcement colleague who referred him to Joe Padilla, a commander at the Denver Colorado Police Department who ,like Spawn, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
“Joe shared the story with me and provided background about the case,” Spawn said. “My wife and I developed interviews with former platoon mates of the victim Marines, as well as interviews with NCIS.”
He acknowledged that the longer a case remains cold, the harder it is to crack—for often myriad reasons.
“As you can imagine, the typical challenge with cold cases is fading memories, witnesses who pass away, deteriorated or lost evidence, etc.,” he said. “But there can also be shifting of loyalty and allegiances involving perpetrators who might now be willing to talk with police.
“And of course, the advances in forensic science since the murders, particularly in DNA, now allows for the smallest traces of a suspect’s biological evidence to be traced. Detectives today are hoping for both—for a witness who they believe was present to come forward, and for DNA to identify a suspect(s).”
The military wants all the help they can get. NCIS is asking anyone with information to come forward, offering a $10,000 reward for details leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murders.
Tips can be submitted by calling CrimeStoppers Hawaii at (808) 955-8300 or by submitting information at NCIS.navy.mil.
