Murder victim’s phone tracked to Kentucky, vehicle followed with Flock camera footage on day five of trial
To read day four trial coverage, click here.
On the fifth day of the trial of Quentin Lamont Porter, Jr., who is charged with murder, Owen County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Nathan Martin took to the stand to begin his testimony, which was expected to last more than four hours.
When 23-year-old Malik Sims’ body was discovered on July 15, 2024, Martin was one of the law enforcement officials called to the scene. He made observations about the victim and the location and condition of his body. Martin served as the lead investigator.
Sims was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. A medical examiner said the bullet entered near his right temple and exited near the left.
During the course of the investigation, Martin said he went back to that spot on Stephenson Road at least 15 to 20 times, sometimes looking for new evidence as weather changed and crops were harvested.
On July 27, 2026, Martin told the courtroom at Porter’s trial the path he took to investigate the murder. Martin detailed the business records he went through, evidence he collected and places he traveled to, looking for more information.
After leaving the scene where Sims was found, Martin went to Sims’ apartment in Bloomington to collect statements from two of his roommates. He received consent to look around their apartment and, after speaking with them, developed a person of interest: Porter.
The following day, Martin went to Indianapolis, where Sims’ Audi A4 had been located by assisting detectives. He noticed the large trash bag over the driver’s side window. The car was consistent with the images Martin obtained from Flock Safety camera footage that followed the car on its path from Bloomington to Stephenson Road, and then to Indianapolis, he said.
On the day Sims was found, two of his friends had used Find My iPhone location sharing to identify where Sims’ body was, and then to Indianapolis, where Porter traveled after Sims died.
Martin was able to recover the phone, which had been sold using ecoATM, an automated kiosk that can be used to sell smartphones. He tracked it to a warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky and retrieved it.
As mentioned in earlier days of the trial, investigators looked through purchases made with Sims’ credit card after he died, purchases believed to be made by Porter. Martin worked to compare the Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) codes for items purchased from the item to the receipts found in Sims’ vehicle, which Porter allegedly drove away in after Sims was murdered.
Martin analyzed seat covers and duct tape found in the vehicle, an iPad, a black New York Yankees hat bought from the Lids in Bloomington and earrings bought from KAY Jewelers. During the trial, Martin showed some of the items to the jury, wearing plastic gloves and using scissors to cut open plastic and brown paper evidence bags.
Martin also spoke with Porter the day he was arrested, July 24, 2024. He said the defendant told him he was with Sims the day he died because he was trying to get a ride home. On the route the two took to Stephenson Road, they passed by Porter’s mother’s house, but didn’t stop there.
“Quentin didn’t provide a great explanation,” Martin said when Owen County Prosecutor Benjamin Kim asked if Porter said why he wasn’t dropped off.
Porter also said he didn’t have Sims’ wallet and didn’t know the location of the credit cards at the time of the interview. He did allegedly admit that he made transactions using Sims’ card to purchase food, fuel and at some stores.
According to Martin, in the interview, Porter said when Sims was shot, by someone he claims was in a white SUV, he was the length of a football field away from the vehicle. He claimed that the driver’s side window was broken by a rock and that he used the plastic bag found wrapped around Sims’ head to “control bleeding” as he attempted to “load” Sims into the car, Martin said.
Martin also testified that Porter told him he didn’t stop to ask for help after claiming to witness Sims be murdered because he was concerned that he would be perceived as responsible.
Martin said he believes the incident took place inside the vehicle, where investigators were unable to find casings. Some bullets and fragments were recovered from the scene after crops were harvested.
Indiana State Police forensic firearms examiner Rafael Perez testified and presented his analysis of Porter’s Taurus G2C 9 millimeter handgun, which was recovered from his backpack. Perez said he was not able to say whether any of the bullets presented from evidence on day five of the trial were fired from the gun.
The jurors were given a chance to look at the gun and the bullets.
Day five of the trial ended early, and Owen Circuit Court I Judge Don VanDerMoere II said the next day would begin with the three-hour-long video footage of Porter’s police interview. The trial is expected to take a total of eight days.
