Brian Lansing Martin
TUSCUMBIA-On October 26, 2026, a Colbert County judge officially sentenced Brian Lansing Martin to death for the 2021 capital murder of Sheffield Police Sergeant Nick Risner. This formal sentencing confirms the unanimous recommendation made by an Alabama jury in September 2026.
On October 1, 2021, Martin fatally shot his friend and roommate, William Mealback Jr., and threw his body from a car. Sgt. Risner responded to the ensuing police pursuit and was killed during a shootout that ended behind the Southgate Mall. Two other law enforcement officers were shot at during the incident. Brian Martin was found guilty on 10 felony counts, including 3 counts of capital murder.
A trial date for the murder of William Mealback Jr., has been set for February 1, 2027. Although Brian Martin is already on death row, Mealback’s Mealback’s daughter Nicole is pushing has been for accountability for five years to ensure their father’s death is not overlooked. A judge scheduled this second murder trial to take place in Huntsville.
