ROANOKE, Va. – Friday night, friends and family members will gather for a vigil to honor the life of Meagan Martin, a 40-year-old mother, daughter, and friend.
On Tuesday, Roanoke City Police Department (RPD) say they located Martin’s body outside a Downing Street home. By Wednesday, officers arrested 45-year-old Joshua Presley and charged him with second-degree murder in connection to Martin’s death.
Police say Martin and Presley were romantically involved and had lived together at the Downing Street home.
As the investigation continues, Martin’s friends are speaking out, not only to remember her, but to call attention. Alisha Smith, who met Martin during recovery, says she wants to make one thing clear: Meagan’s death wasn’t about addiction.
“I wanted to raise awareness to the domestic violence piece because I don’t think that it is noticed enough and she was someone that suffered in silence,” Smith said. “She was not just somebody with substance use disorder. She was so much more than that. She had a spirit that when people say someone walks into a room and lights it up, with Meagan, it was real.”
Court documents obtained by 10 News reveal Martin’s mother and friends grew concerned after not hearing from her since Saturday. Their concern escalated when they visited the Downing Street residence and saw what appeared to be blood inside the home. They reported her missing to police on Monday and spread the word online with help from the Aware Foundation.
Officers visited the home on Monday but received no response at the door. On Tuesday, friends and relatives found bloody bedding in a trash can outside the home and notified police. That same day, investigators obtained a search warrant for the property and discovered Martin’s body outside the residence.
According to court documents, detectives found significant traces of blood on the bedding and on a mattress located behind the house, evidence they say pointed to possible foul play.
Court documents reveal investigators ultimately seized multiple items from the home, including bedding, phones, cleaning supplies, trash, and a computer.
Brittany Manning, who has been a friend of Martin since they were teens, was part of the search for Martin and says her friend showed loyalty to those she loved.
“Meagan was my best friend. She was my sister. She called my mom ‘Mom.’ She was everything — a mother, a daughter, a stepmother, a friend, an aunt. I’m going to miss that big smile and memories of playing basketball with her kids in the driveway. So much.”
Both Manning and Smith say it’s time to speak up, for Meagan, and for domestic violence survivors.
“If Meagan was here today, she would want us to stand up for the next person.,” Manning said. “In Meagan’s memory, if you could do nothing more than that, just help the next person.”
Smith added, “just being a domestic violence survivor, myself, I was convinced that I was alone and that nobody would hear me even if I did speak up,” she said. “If you are a female or a male and you were in that situation and you feel that way, I really, I really need you to just believe me when I say, that that is not true.”
Most of all, Martin’s friends say her name deserves to be remembered.
A list of community resources for domestic violence survivors is currently available on the 10 News homepage.