Bail denied for man accused of killing well-known homeless advocate

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A man accused of shooting and killing a well-known homeless advocate in Anchorage was in court Tuesday on a bail hearing.

Ryan Dummler, 32, is accused of shooting and killing John Martin III, 51, in June, in an Anchorage parking lot.

Judge Andrew Peterson denied attorney John Cashion’s request to reduce Dummler’s bail from $250,000 cash to $25,000 and also denied a request to assign a man as Dummler’s third-party custodian.

This is the second time a judge has denied Dummler’s requests at a bail hearing.

The victim made international headlines when he was detained in Russia after trying to sail to China from Alaska in a dingy.

Martin is also known for staging protests outside Anchorage City Hall, advocating for homeless people.

Martin was also a registered sex offender who spent eight years in prison on charges related to the sexual assault of a minor in his care. In 2015, Martin faced manslaughter charges in multiple trials for his role in a fatal vehicle crash while driving under the influence.

Dummler is charged with first- and second-degree murder and could serve as much as 99 years in prison if convicted.

Martin’s mom appeared in court by phone, where she made emotional pleas to the judge to not let Dummler out of custody for fear of her safety and the safety of the community.

Dummler has a discovery hearing scheduled for Oct. 25.

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