September 21, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
A 35-year-old man who allegedly beat his girlfriend to death with a hammer at their Smithville home early Wednesday morning has been charged with first degree murder.
Simon Rodriguez Martinez is being held without bond in the DeKalb County Jail in the death of 39-year-old Yuri Guerra. His court date is September 29.
The case is being investigated by the Smithville Police Department with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and District Attorney General’s Office.
The incident occurred at the couple’s trailer home at 620 South Mountain Street.
“Wednesday morning around 5:45 a.m. the Smithville Police Department was dispatched to 620 South Mountain Street for a possible domestic,” said Police Chief Mark Collins. “Upon arrival officers found a female victim inside the home with obvious physical trauma. She was later pronounced dead at the scene. SPD also removed three children, ages 14, 5, and 5 months from the home and they were placed in the custody of the Department of Children Services. The victim was transported to the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. An arrest has been made in the case. 35-year-old Simon Rodriguez Martinez has been charged with first degree murder and he is being held without bond. The investigation is still on-going. TBI and the DA’s Office are also helping with the case,” said Chief Collins.
According to the arrest warrant “On September 21 in the early morning hours Simon Rodriguez Martinez did intentionally, with malice and forethought murder Yuri Guerra by repeatedly hitting her in the head with a hammer. Martinez did admit to attempting to clean the blood up from the scene and take a shower. Martinez also admitted to moving the murder weapon from the scene as well as throwing the clothes he had been wearing in the trash. Martinez did confess to hitting Guerra with the hammer after an argument had begun. Martinez’s stepdaughter did state during a forensic interview that she witnessed Martinez hit her mother in the head several times with a hammer”.