BEAUMONT — The attorney who represents a woman who is one of three people accused of murdering a Nederland man believes his client was threatened the night of the crime.
Attorney Ryan Gertz is representing Ashlie Martinez who was indicted for the murder of Michael Legg.
Legg was found dead inside his Beauxart Garden home on May 9 with the front and back doors open.
Gertz said Legg invited Martinez over to his house as a prostitute and threatened her by pointing at a gun lying on the table.
"She told him there were certain things she wouldn't do and he told her it would be different this time," said Gertz.
Gertz claims Martinez asked for help from Duane Owens jr, and Dcobien Dorsey after she felt threatened.
According to the grand jury indictment, the two suspects brought a gun and tied up Legg's hands and feet while Martinez broke a wine bottle on his head.
According to the probable cause affidavit Owens brought the gun inside the home and stole Legg’s gun, watches and cellphone.
Police identified the suspects after they were shown surveillance video of the suspects on a neighbor’s doorbell camera.
Autopsy results showed that Legg was beaten to death.
Owens and Dorsey were indicted in Legg’s murder last week.
“I don't think they went in there with the intent to kill somebody otherwise they had two guns if they wanted to kill him they would have killed him," said Gertz.
Gertz said Martinez met Owens on the Plenty of Fish dating app last December. He claims their relationship evolved from romantic to violent when Owens became her pimp.
Gertz said Owens started using her for sex trafficking in February and made her get a tattoo with her new name “Harley Quin.”
“He had her believing that he loved her and they were going to get married and have this baby together and everything was going to be normal, while at the same time he was pimping her out when she was five months pregnant,” said Gertz.
Gertz said right now Martinez is about seven or eight months pregnant with Owens' baby.
According to Gertz, Martinez is not the only human trafficking victim. He said Owens trafficked several women in Beaumont and even some out of state.
“Duane threatened Ashlie’s daughter, her family, her sisters and her mother and said things like I know where they live if you leave me I will go get them,” said Gertz.
Gertz said Martinez is willing to testify about what happened to her.
Martinez and Owens were also indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy, burglary of a habitation, aggravated robbery and assault family-felony.
Dorsey was also indicted for criminal conspiracy, burglary of a habitation and aggravated robbery.
The District Attorney’s office did not want to make a comment due to the ongoing investigation.