Man sentenced to 60 years for murder of known Anchorage homeless advocate

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The man convicted of murdering a known homeless advocate and sex offender in Anchorage was sentenced Friday to 60 years in prison.

Ryan Dummler, 35, was convicted last November on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder for the shooting death of John Martin III.

Dummler was accused of shooting and killing Martin on June 15, 2023, behind the Global Credit Union on West Dimond Boulevard and King Street. His body was found by police behind a utility box.

Before his death, Martin made local and international headlines for a variety of reasons over two decades. Martin was widely known for staging a six-month-long sidewalk protest outside of Anchorage City Hall in 2011 to raise awareness about homelessness.

He 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 also faced manslaughter charges in multiple trials for his role in a fatal vehicle crash while driving under the influence.

The fatal shooting in 2023 began with Dummler forcibly pulling off the bedding that Martin was sleeping under and yelling at him, according to what surveillance footage shows as described by the Department of Law.

Dummler then shot Martin eight times, with seven bullets hitting Martin, including two in the head, according to the department. Martin died within minutes.

When Dummler was tracked down by investigators later on while he worked at Burger King, a Glock 19X handgun was found in his backpack. Shell casings found at the scene of Martin’s death matched those in the gun.

According to a release from the Department of Law, Martin’s mother was at Friday’s sentencing and told the court that she forgave the defendant because “her son was a very forgiving person.”

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