The Rapid City Journal, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
BOB MARTIN DIES
PIERRE (AP) -- Robert Martin, South Dakota director of economic development, is dead at 52.
He was stricken with an apparent heart attack Saturday.
Martin was appointed director of the state Industrial Development and Expansion Agency in 1967 and became director of economic development under the executive branch reorganization in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN DIES
Robert H. Martin, Pierre, S.D., formerly of Emporia, died Sunday morning at his home. He was Director of Industrial Development for South Dakota, and before moving from Emporia in 1967, worked for the Kansas Industrial Development Commission. His home here was as 1221 Walnut St.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church in Pierre, and services here at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery will be Friday. The time of Emporia services will be announced by Blair Mortuary.
Robert Harris Martin was born April 17th, 1924, in Emporia, the son of William A. and Edna L. Harris Martin. He was graduated from Emporia High School in 1942 and served in the U.S. Naval Air Force during World War II. He graduated from the College of Emporia in 1948. He married Mary Lou Anstaett May 31st, 1948, in Emporia. Mr. Martin was a member of the Westminster United Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; four sons, William A. Martin III, Norfolk, Neb., and Robert P., James A. and Eric A. Martin of Pierre; two brothers, William A. Martin Jr., Chickasha, Okla., and Donald W. Martin, Lousanne, Switzerland; his stepfather and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde J. Barraclough, 413 West Fifth Ave.; two stepsisters, Juanita Ferrell, Bixby, Okla., and Loeta Tisdale, Norfolk, Va.; and one grandson, William F. Martin, Norfolk, Neb. He was preceded in death by his father.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 19 Oct 1976, Tuesday
ROBERT H. MARTIN
PIERRE--Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Oahe Presbyterian Church for Robert H. Martin, 52.
Interment will be Friday at the Masonic Circle of the Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Emporia, Kan.
Mr. Martin was born April 17, 1924, at Emporia, Kan. He lived in Kansas until 1967 when he was appointed director of the South Dakota Industrial and Development Agency. He became director of the industrial division of the S.D. Department of Tourism and Economic Development in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 20 Oct 1976, Wednesday
MARTIN SERVICES SET
Graveside services for Robert H. Martin who died Sunday at his home in Pierre, S.D., will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The Rev. David W. Isaac will officiate. The casket will be open at the Blair Mortuary Thursday evening and until time of services on Friday.
A memorial fund has been established at the Pierre National Bank, Pierre, S.D., and contributions may be sent to the bank or Blair Mortuary.
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The Rapid City Journal, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN'S DUAL LIFE BEING INVESTIGATED
Charlotte Porter
SIOUX FALLS (AP)--Bob Martin, 52, known to his friends in South Dakota government as a quiet, dedicated man, kept a wife and family of four in Pierre while working as director of economic development.
What his friends didn't know until he died of a heart attack three weeks ago was that Martin for eight years also kept a wife and family of five in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the dual life Sunday. The existence of the two families came to light when attorneys for the two began investigating Martin's estate.
Janklow said there was "some question involved in the use of state funds." He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened to hear from the Sioux Falls wife and others involved.
Martin traveled frequently between the state capitol in Pierre and Sioux Falls, often staying for several days. Earlier this year his division was moved to Sioux Falls, but he also maintained an office in Pierre.
A source close to the investigation said vouchers filed by Martin for travel and motel accomodations (sic) in Pierre and Sioux Falls were being checked.
Martin's boss, Jack Allmon, secretary of economic and tourism development, described Martin as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. He described the Pierre family as "very close."
Mrs. Martin of Pierre, asked Sunday about her husband's two lives, said only, "This is not fact," and declined further comment. Her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said he had not been able to find a will.
Two days before Martin's death, Atty. Gen. Janklow received an anonymous letter spelling out Martin's double life. By the time he checked into it, Martin was dead.
Janklow said he had mixed feelings about investigating the case.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
The youngest of Martin's four Pierre children was about 12. The youngest of the Sioux Falls children was 14 months.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said the two were married on Feb.14, 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license, but he said that did not mean one did not exist.
Jorgensen said Martin stayed with his wife while in Sioux Falls.
She said Sunday that Martin also spent Christmas and other holidays with her. Her telephone is listed in her name but the city directory lists her husband as the state official.
Mrs. Martin of Sioux Falls wrote articles for South Dakota Industrial, a magazine published by Martin's division. Atty. Gen. Janklow said "if she wrote for the state magazine and worked for her husband" it would be a violation of the state law which prohibits a department head from hiring people from his own family to work in his department.
On Sunday Patricia Martin of Sioux Falls said she did not know there were two families and that someday she would like to talk to her husband's other wife, Mary Lou Martin of Pierre. "I feel very sorry for her also. It was just as much a shock to her," said Patricia Martin.
Martin, who came to South Dakota from Kansas where he was an assistant director of the state Department of Economic Development, was buried in Kansas.
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The Emporia Gazette, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
LEFT TWO WIVES AND NINE CHILDREN. . . .
OFFICIAL LED DOUBLE LIFE UNDETECTED
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., (AP)--When South Dakota's director of economic development died three weeks ago, he left a wife and four children in Pierre. He also left a wife and five children less than 200 miles away in Sioux Falls.
Bob Martin's double home life surfaced because attorneys for both families inquired about his estate after he died of a heart attack on Oct. 16 at the age of 52.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the arrangement Sunday and said an investigation was underway, although he said he had "mixed feelings" about it.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
Patricia Martin, the Sioux Falls wife, said Sunday that she did not know there were two families. Someday, she said, she would like to talk to the wife in Pierre.
"I feel very sorry for her also," she said. "It was just as much a shock to her."
Mary Lou Martin, the wife in Pierre, was asked Sunday about the situation, and said: "This is not fact." She declined further comment, and her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said that he had been unable to find a will.
Jack Allmon, who as South Dakota's secretary of economic and tourism development was Martin's boss, described him as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. But Allmon added that he knew the family in Pierre, and he described it as "very close."
It's not known when Martin married the Pierre woman, but the youngest of their children was said to be about 12 years old.
Allmon said a son in the Pierre family had worked in the state tourism department the last two summers.
Martin traveled frequently between Pierre -- the state capital -- and Sioux Falls, where his division was headquartered. He maintained an office in Pierre.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said she married Martin in 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license. The youngest child of that marriage reportedly is 14 months old.
The wife in Sioux Falls said Martin spent Christmas and other holidays with her.
Martin's last salary checks and his personnel file have been impounded by the state pending a legal determination of how to administer the estate, Atty. Gen. Janklow said.
He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened, and would take testimony from several people, including the wife in Sioux Falls.
Two days before Martin's death, Janklow said, he received an anonymous letter about Martin's double life. He said Martin died before he could ask him about it.
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The Rapid City Journal, 26 Nov 1976, Friday
JANKLOW FILES CLAIM AGAINST MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE (AP) -- Atty. Gen. William Janklow has filed a $5,600 claim against the estate of Robert Martin for travel expenses that Janklow says were paid contrary to state regulations.
Martin was director of economic development when he died in October. After his death, it was learned that he had a family in Pierre and a family in Sioux Falls.
Janklow filed the claim in Hughes County Circuit Court.
Martin had been submitting vouchers for expenses of $11.50 per day, the state maximum for lodging while in Sioux Falls, Secretary of Economic and Tourism Development Jack Allmon said. Allmon was Martin's former boss in Pierre.
He said vouchers generally listed the Tally-ho as Martin's lodging. The Tally-Ho is the name of the apartment complex in Sioux Falls where Martin lived.
Janklow's office said it does not plan to file criminal charges in connection with the case.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 31 Jan 1977, Monday
MARTIN CASE SETTLEMENT NEAR
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Hughes County Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller said Monday that he expected a quick settlement to a case involving the late Robert Martin, who died leaving two families.
"The parties are negotiating," Miller said, noting he expected settlement within the week.
Martin, former state economic director, died in October without leaving a will and officials found later he had families in Sioux Falls and Pierre.
Attorneys representing both women involved in the case have met with Miller and are seeking a settlement that would recognize the legitimacy's of each client's children.
However, one attorney says a fire in St. Louis several years ago destroyed medical records which might have shed some light on whether Martin was the father of the children in one of the families.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 12 Feb 1977, Saturday
MARTIN CASE DECISION MADE BY JUDGE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Circuit Judge Robert Miller ordered Friday that the estate of the late Robert Martin must pay South Dakota government $5,635 for improper lodging payments.
Judge Miller also said that five children of Patricia Martin are to be recognized as legal heirs of Martin's estate.
The decision came in the settlement of the estate of Martin, state director of Economic Development, who died in October.
After his death, it was learned that he had a family with four children in Pierre and a family with five children in Sioux Falls.
Judge Miller said blood tests from Robert Martin's medical records, Patricia Martin and the Sioux Falls children showed that he could have been the father.
"Anticipating this, the parties agreed that Patricia's five children may be recognized as legitimate children of Robert Martin, and as a result legal heirs to the estate," Judge Miller's memorandum opinion said.
It said attorneys for the two families also agreed that Patricia's five children would file no claim against property held by Martin and Mary Lou Martin, the Pierre wife.
The state through Atty. Gen. William Janklow's office entered the suit claiming that Martin submitted fraudulent vouchers and receipts for lodging at the Tally-Ho in Sioux Falls from June 20, 1972 through Sept. 2, 1976.
The Tally-Ho is the apartment complex where Patricia Martin and her children live.
Attorneys for the Martin estate said the claim said the claim should be denied because the claims did not exceed maximum state rates, there was no forgery and no attempt to say the Tally-Ho was a motel or "anything other than it actually was."
Judge Miller said, "I believe the record is clear, that on the nights involved, Martin did not pay any specific amount for lodging upon which he got a receipt."
"A state employe(e) who directs his supposed spouse (especially under the circumstances here where he knows that he had a wife and children in another community) to write a room receipt under her maiden name for money not expended and who obtains reimbursement from the state based upon such claims, has committed fraud," Miller said. "The state is entitled to reimbursement."
Judge Miller said the case before him did not require him to decide the status or validity of the alleged marriage between Martin and Patricia Martin.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 09 Mar 1977, Wednesday
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- An attorney for a woman who claims she was one of two wives of the late Robert Martin said Tuesday a motion picture studio has expressed interest in the movie rights to the story.
Topeka, Kan., attorney William R. Vincent said he has retained a Sioux Falls lawyer to negotiate a contract for Mrs. Pat Martin.
Mrs. Martin, who now lives in Topeka, said she was married to Martin, state director of industrial development, who died last October.
After Martin's death, Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed Martin had two families, one in Pierre and one in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
Vincent said his information on the movie contract was based on reports from the South Dakota attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.
He said he believed the studio, Paramount Pictures, and the attorney had agreed in principle to the contract, but he said so many details were unsettled that the deal may never be completed.
Vincent said he did not know any specifics on monetary arrangements.
"To my knowledge the details of the contract have not been settled," he said.
Vincent said he coordinates a number of legal matters for Mrs. Martin, who says she and Mr. Martin were married in 1968.
A state judge has ruled her five children legal heirs to Martin's estate.
Circuit Judge Robert Miller also ruled that the estate must pay $5,600 to the state for lodging payments made to Martin on his visits to Sioux Falls.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 10 Mar 1977, Thursday
BANK, STATE GET MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- A recommendation to split the estate of the late Robert Martin, the state official who apparently had two families, was accepted by Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller Wednesday.
Martin was the State Industrial and Economic Development director. After his death, it was learned he had families in Pierre and in Sioux Falls.
Attorney Gary Colwill, representing the Pierre family, said there was about $4,200 in Martin's estate.
The judge ruled last month that the estate owed the State of South Dakota about $5,600 for lodging improperly claimed by Martin when he was living in Sioux Falls. Union Bank and Trust Co. of Sioux Falls also had a $5,000 claim against the estate.
Colwill recommended that $1,600 be set aside for administrative costs, including attorneys' fees and other expenses. The remainder would be probated between the Sioux Falls bank and the state government.
Asst. Atty. Gen. Harry Christianson, who represented the estate, agreed to the settlement.
Colwill said the claims make the estate insolvent, meaning there will be nothing left of the heirs.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, representing the Sioux Falls family, also made a $500 claim against the state for his legal fees. But Judge Miller said there was no authority in law to grant the claim.
Earlier, this week, Jorgensen and other attorneys confirmed that a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures was negotiating for movie rights with Mrs. Pat Martin. That Mrs. Martin moved from Sioux Falls to Topeka, Kan., indicating that she wanted to withdraw her children from publicity surrounding the incident.
The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
BOB MARTIN DIES
PIERRE (AP) -- Robert Martin, South Dakota director of economic development, is dead at 52.
He was stricken with an apparent heart attack Saturday.
Martin was appointed director of the state Industrial Development and Expansion Agency in 1967 and became director of economic development under the executive branch reorganization in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN DIES
Robert H. Martin, Pierre, S.D., formerly of Emporia, died Sunday morning at his home. He was Director of Industrial Development for South Dakota, and before moving from Emporia in 1967, worked for the Kansas Industrial Development Commission. His home here was as 1221 Walnut St.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church in Pierre, and services here at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery will be Friday. The time of Emporia services will be announced by Blair Mortuary.
Robert Harris Martin was born April 17th, 1924, in Emporia, the son of William A. and Edna L. Harris Martin. He was graduated from Emporia High School in 1942 and served in the U.S. Naval Air Force during World War II. He graduated from the College of Emporia in 1948. He married Mary Lou Anstaett May 31st, 1948, in Emporia. Mr. Martin was a member of the Westminster United Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; four sons, William A. Martin III, Norfolk, Neb., and Robert P., James A. and Eric A. Martin of Pierre; two brothers, William A. Martin Jr., Chickasha, Okla., and Donald W. Martin, Lousanne, Switzerland; his stepfather and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde J. Barraclough, 413 West Fifth Ave.; two stepsisters, Juanita Ferrell, Bixby, Okla., and Loeta Tisdale, Norfolk, Va.; and one grandson, William F. Martin, Norfolk, Neb. He was preceded in death by his father.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 19 Oct 1976, Tuesday
ROBERT H. MARTIN
PIERRE--Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Oahe Presbyterian Church for Robert H. Martin, 52.
Interment will be Friday at the Masonic Circle of the Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Emporia, Kan.
Mr. Martin was born April 17, 1924, at Emporia, Kan. He lived in Kansas until 1967 when he was appointed director of the South Dakota Industrial and Development Agency. He became director of the industrial division of the S.D. Department of Tourism and Economic Development in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 20 Oct 1976, Wednesday
MARTIN SERVICES SET
Graveside services for Robert H. Martin who died Sunday at his home in Pierre, S.D., will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The Rev. David W. Isaac will officiate. The casket will be open at the Blair Mortuary Thursday evening and until time of services on Friday.
A memorial fund has been established at the Pierre National Bank, Pierre, S.D., and contributions may be sent to the bank or Blair Mortuary.
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The Rapid City Journal, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN'S DUAL LIFE BEING INVESTIGATED
Charlotte Porter
SIOUX FALLS (AP)--Bob Martin, 52, known to his friends in South Dakota government as a quiet, dedicated man, kept a wife and family of four in Pierre while working as director of economic development.
What his friends didn't know until he died of a heart attack three weeks ago was that Martin for eight years also kept a wife and family of five in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the dual life Sunday. The existence of the two families came to light when attorneys for the two began investigating Martin's estate.
Janklow said there was "some question involved in the use of state funds." He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened to hear from the Sioux Falls wife and others involved.
Martin traveled frequently between the state capitol in Pierre and Sioux Falls, often staying for several days. Earlier this year his division was moved to Sioux Falls, but he also maintained an office in Pierre.
A source close to the investigation said vouchers filed by Martin for travel and motel accomodations (sic) in Pierre and Sioux Falls were being checked.
Martin's boss, Jack Allmon, secretary of economic and tourism development, described Martin as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. He described the Pierre family as "very close."
Mrs. Martin of Pierre, asked Sunday about her husband's two lives, said only, "This is not fact," and declined further comment. Her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said he had not been able to find a will.
Two days before Martin's death, Atty. Gen. Janklow received an anonymous letter spelling out Martin's double life. By the time he checked into it, Martin was dead.
Janklow said he had mixed feelings about investigating the case.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
The youngest of Martin's four Pierre children was about 12. The youngest of the Sioux Falls children was 14 months.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said the two were married on Feb.14, 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license, but he said that did not mean one did not exist.
Jorgensen said Martin stayed with his wife while in Sioux Falls.
She said Sunday that Martin also spent Christmas and other holidays with her. Her telephone is listed in her name but the city directory lists her husband as the state official.
Mrs. Martin of Sioux Falls wrote articles for South Dakota Industrial, a magazine published by Martin's division. Atty. Gen. Janklow said "if she wrote for the state magazine and worked for her husband" it would be a violation of the state law which prohibits a department head from hiring people from his own family to work in his department.
On Sunday Patricia Martin of Sioux Falls said she did not know there were two families and that someday she would like to talk to her husband's other wife, Mary Lou Martin of Pierre. "I feel very sorry for her also. It was just as much a shock to her," said Patricia Martin.
Martin, who came to South Dakota from Kansas where he was an assistant director of the state Department of Economic Development, was buried in Kansas.
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The Emporia Gazette, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
LEFT TWO WIVES AND NINE CHILDREN. . . .
OFFICIAL LED DOUBLE LIFE UNDETECTED
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., (AP)--When South Dakota's director of economic development died three weeks ago, he left a wife and four children in Pierre. He also left a wife and five children less than 200 miles away in Sioux Falls.
Bob Martin's double home life surfaced because attorneys for both families inquired about his estate after he died of a heart attack on Oct. 16 at the age of 52.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the arrangement Sunday and said an investigation was underway, although he said he had "mixed feelings" about it.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
Patricia Martin, the Sioux Falls wife, said Sunday that she did not know there were two families. Someday, she said, she would like to talk to the wife in Pierre.
"I feel very sorry for her also," she said. "It was just as much a shock to her."
Mary Lou Martin, the wife in Pierre, was asked Sunday about the situation, and said: "This is not fact." She declined further comment, and her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said that he had been unable to find a will.
Jack Allmon, who as South Dakota's secretary of economic and tourism development was Martin's boss, described him as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. But Allmon added that he knew the family in Pierre, and he described it as "very close."
It's not known when Martin married the Pierre woman, but the youngest of their children was said to be about 12 years old.
Allmon said a son in the Pierre family had worked in the state tourism department the last two summers.
Martin traveled frequently between Pierre -- the state capital -- and Sioux Falls, where his division was headquartered. He maintained an office in Pierre.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said she married Martin in 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license. The youngest child of that marriage reportedly is 14 months old.
The wife in Sioux Falls said Martin spent Christmas and other holidays with her.
Martin's last salary checks and his personnel file have been impounded by the state pending a legal determination of how to administer the estate, Atty. Gen. Janklow said.
He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened, and would take testimony from several people, including the wife in Sioux Falls.
Two days before Martin's death, Janklow said, he received an anonymous letter about Martin's double life. He said Martin died before he could ask him about it.
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The Rapid City Journal, 26 Nov 1976, Friday
JANKLOW FILES CLAIM AGAINST MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE (AP) -- Atty. Gen. William Janklow has filed a $5,600 claim against the estate of Robert Martin for travel expenses that Janklow says were paid contrary to state regulations.
Martin was director of economic development when he died in October. After his death, it was learned that he had a family in Pierre and a family in Sioux Falls.
Janklow filed the claim in Hughes County Circuit Court.
Martin had been submitting vouchers for expenses of $11.50 per day, the state maximum for lodging while in Sioux Falls, Secretary of Economic and Tourism Development Jack Allmon said. Allmon was Martin's former boss in Pierre.
He said vouchers generally listed the Tally-ho as Martin's lodging. The Tally-Ho is the name of the apartment complex in Sioux Falls where Martin lived.
Janklow's office said it does not plan to file criminal charges in connection with the case.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 31 Jan 1977, Monday
MARTIN CASE SETTLEMENT NEAR
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Hughes County Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller said Monday that he expected a quick settlement to a case involving the late Robert Martin, who died leaving two families.
"The parties are negotiating," Miller said, noting he expected settlement within the week.
Martin, former state economic director, died in October without leaving a will and officials found later he had families in Sioux Falls and Pierre.
Attorneys representing both women involved in the case have met with Miller and are seeking a settlement that would recognize the legitimacy's of each client's children.
However, one attorney says a fire in St. Louis several years ago destroyed medical records which might have shed some light on whether Martin was the father of the children in one of the families.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 12 Feb 1977, Saturday
MARTIN CASE DECISION MADE BY JUDGE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Circuit Judge Robert Miller ordered Friday that the estate of the late Robert Martin must pay South Dakota government $5,635 for improper lodging payments.
Judge Miller also said that five children of Patricia Martin are to be recognized as legal heirs of Martin's estate.
The decision came in the settlement of the estate of Martin, state director of Economic Development, who died in October.
After his death, it was learned that he had a family with four children in Pierre and a family with five children in Sioux Falls.
Judge Miller said blood tests from Robert Martin's medical records, Patricia Martin and the Sioux Falls children showed that he could have been the father.
"Anticipating this, the parties agreed that Patricia's five children may be recognized as legitimate children of Robert Martin, and as a result legal heirs to the estate," Judge Miller's memorandum opinion said.
It said attorneys for the two families also agreed that Patricia's five children would file no claim against property held by Martin and Mary Lou Martin, the Pierre wife.
The state through Atty. Gen. William Janklow's office entered the suit claiming that Martin submitted fraudulent vouchers and receipts for lodging at the Tally-Ho in Sioux Falls from June 20, 1972 through Sept. 2, 1976.
The Tally-Ho is the apartment complex where Patricia Martin and her children live.
Attorneys for the Martin estate said the claim said the claim should be denied because the claims did not exceed maximum state rates, there was no forgery and no attempt to say the Tally-Ho was a motel or "anything other than it actually was."
Judge Miller said, "I believe the record is clear, that on the nights involved, Martin did not pay any specific amount for lodging upon which he got a receipt."
"A state employe(e) who directs his supposed spouse (especially under the circumstances here where he knows that he had a wife and children in another community) to write a room receipt under her maiden name for money not expended and who obtains reimbursement from the state based upon such claims, has committed fraud," Miller said. "The state is entitled to reimbursement."
Judge Miller said the case before him did not require him to decide the status or validity of the alleged marriage between Martin and Patricia Martin.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 09 Mar 1977, Wednesday
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- An attorney for a woman who claims she was one of two wives of the late Robert Martin said Tuesday a motion picture studio has expressed interest in the movie rights to the story.
Topeka, Kan., attorney William R. Vincent said he has retained a Sioux Falls lawyer to negotiate a contract for Mrs. Pat Martin.
Mrs. Martin, who now lives in Topeka, said she was married to Martin, state director of industrial development, who died last October.
After Martin's death, Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed Martin had two families, one in Pierre and one in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
Vincent said his information on the movie contract was based on reports from the South Dakota attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.
He said he believed the studio, Paramount Pictures, and the attorney had agreed in principle to the contract, but he said so many details were unsettled that the deal may never be completed.
Vincent said he did not know any specifics on monetary arrangements.
"To my knowledge the details of the contract have not been settled," he said.
Vincent said he coordinates a number of legal matters for Mrs. Martin, who says she and Mr. Martin were married in 1968.
A state judge has ruled her five children legal heirs to Martin's estate.
Circuit Judge Robert Miller also ruled that the estate must pay $5,600 to the state for lodging payments made to Martin on his visits to Sioux Falls.
****************************
The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 10 Mar 1977, Thursday
BANK, STATE GET MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- A recommendation to split the estate of the late Robert Martin, the state official who apparently had two families, was accepted by Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller Wednesday.
Martin was the State Industrial and Economic Development director. After his death, it was learned he had families in Pierre and in Sioux Falls.
Attorney Gary Colwill, representing the Pierre family, said there was about $4,200 in Martin's estate.
The judge ruled last month that the estate owed the State of South Dakota about $5,600 for lodging improperly claimed by Martin when he was living in Sioux Falls. Union Bank and Trust Co. of Sioux Falls also had a $5,000 claim against the estate.
Colwill recommended that $1,600 be set aside for administrative costs, including attorneys' fees and other expenses. The remainder would be probated between the Sioux Falls bank and the state government.
Asst. Atty. Gen. Harry Christianson, who represented the estate, agreed to the settlement.
Colwill said the claims make the estate insolvent, meaning there will be nothing left of the heirs.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, representing the Sioux Falls family, also made a $500 claim against the state for his legal fees. But Judge Miller said there was no authority in law to grant the claim.
Earlier, this week, Jorgensen and other attorneys confirmed that a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures was negotiating for movie rights with Mrs. Pat Martin. That Mrs. Martin moved from Sioux Falls to Topeka, Kan., indicating that she wanted to withdraw her children from publicity surrounding the incident.
The Rapid City Journal, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
BOB MARTIN DIES
PIERRE (AP) -- Robert Martin, South Dakota director of economic development, is dead at 52.
He was stricken with an apparent heart attack Saturday.
Martin was appointed director of the state Industrial Development and Expansion Agency in 1967 and became director of economic development under the executive branch reorganization in 1973.
****************************
The Emporia Gazette, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN DIES
Robert H. Martin, Pierre, S.D., formerly of Emporia, died Sunday morning at his home. He was Director of Industrial Development for South Dakota, and before moving from Emporia in 1967, worked for the Kansas Industrial Development Commission. His home here was as 1221 Walnut St.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church in Pierre, and services here at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery will be Friday. The time of Emporia services will be announced by Blair Mortuary.
Robert Harris Martin was born April 17th, 1924, in Emporia, the son of William A. and Edna L. Harris Martin. He was graduated from Emporia High School in 1942 and served in the U.S. Naval Air Force during World War II. He graduated from the College of Emporia in 1948. He married Mary Lou Anstaett May 31st, 1948, in Emporia. Mr. Martin was a member of the Westminster United Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; four sons, William A. Martin III, Norfolk, Neb., and Robert P., James A. and Eric A. Martin of Pierre; two brothers, William A. Martin Jr., Chickasha, Okla., and Donald W. Martin, Lousanne, Switzerland; his stepfather and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde J. Barraclough, 413 West Fifth Ave.; two stepsisters, Juanita Ferrell, Bixby, Okla., and Loeta Tisdale, Norfolk, Va.; and one grandson, William F. Martin, Norfolk, Neb. He was preceded in death by his father.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 19 Oct 1976, Tuesday
ROBERT H. MARTIN
PIERRE--Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Oahe Presbyterian Church for Robert H. Martin, 52.
Interment will be Friday at the Masonic Circle of the Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Emporia, Kan.
Mr. Martin was born April 17, 1924, at Emporia, Kan. He lived in Kansas until 1967 when he was appointed director of the South Dakota Industrial and Development Agency. He became director of the industrial division of the S.D. Department of Tourism and Economic Development in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 20 Oct 1976, Wednesday
MARTIN SERVICES SET
Graveside services for Robert H. Martin who died Sunday at his home in Pierre, S.D., will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The Rev. David W. Isaac will officiate. The casket will be open at the Blair Mortuary Thursday evening and until time of services on Friday.
A memorial fund has been established at the Pierre National Bank, Pierre, S.D., and contributions may be sent to the bank or Blair Mortuary.
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The Rapid City Journal, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN'S DUAL LIFE BEING INVESTIGATED
Charlotte Porter
SIOUX FALLS (AP)--Bob Martin, 52, known to his friends in South Dakota government as a quiet, dedicated man, kept a wife and family of four in Pierre while working as director of economic development.
What his friends didn't know until he died of a heart attack three weeks ago was that Martin for eight years also kept a wife and family of five in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the dual life Sunday. The existence of the two families came to light when attorneys for the two began investigating Martin's estate.
Janklow said there was "some question involved in the use of state funds." He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened to hear from the Sioux Falls wife and others involved.
Martin traveled frequently between the state capitol in Pierre and Sioux Falls, often staying for several days. Earlier this year his division was moved to Sioux Falls, but he also maintained an office in Pierre.
A source close to the investigation said vouchers filed by Martin for travel and motel accomodations (sic) in Pierre and Sioux Falls were being checked.
Martin's boss, Jack Allmon, secretary of economic and tourism development, described Martin as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. He described the Pierre family as "very close."
Mrs. Martin of Pierre, asked Sunday about her husband's two lives, said only, "This is not fact," and declined further comment. Her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said he had not been able to find a will.
Two days before Martin's death, Atty. Gen. Janklow received an anonymous letter spelling out Martin's double life. By the time he checked into it, Martin was dead.
Janklow said he had mixed feelings about investigating the case.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
The youngest of Martin's four Pierre children was about 12. The youngest of the Sioux Falls children was 14 months.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said the two were married on Feb.14, 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license, but he said that did not mean one did not exist.
Jorgensen said Martin stayed with his wife while in Sioux Falls.
She said Sunday that Martin also spent Christmas and other holidays with her. Her telephone is listed in her name but the city directory lists her husband as the state official.
Mrs. Martin of Sioux Falls wrote articles for South Dakota Industrial, a magazine published by Martin's division. Atty. Gen. Janklow said "if she wrote for the state magazine and worked for her husband" it would be a violation of the state law which prohibits a department head from hiring people from his own family to work in his department.
On Sunday Patricia Martin of Sioux Falls said she did not know there were two families and that someday she would like to talk to her husband's other wife, Mary Lou Martin of Pierre. "I feel very sorry for her also. It was just as much a shock to her," said Patricia Martin.
Martin, who came to South Dakota from Kansas where he was an assistant director of the state Department of Economic Development, was buried in Kansas.
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The Emporia Gazette, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
LEFT TWO WIVES AND NINE CHILDREN. . . .
OFFICIAL LED DOUBLE LIFE UNDETECTED
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., (AP)--When South Dakota's director of economic development died three weeks ago, he left a wife and four children in Pierre. He also left a wife and five children less than 200 miles away in Sioux Falls.
Bob Martin's double home life surfaced because attorneys for both families inquired about his estate after he died of a heart attack on Oct. 16 at the age of 52.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the arrangement Sunday and said an investigation was underway, although he said he had "mixed feelings" about it.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
Patricia Martin, the Sioux Falls wife, said Sunday that she did not know there were two families. Someday, she said, she would like to talk to the wife in Pierre.
"I feel very sorry for her also," she said. "It was just as much a shock to her."
Mary Lou Martin, the wife in Pierre, was asked Sunday about the situation, and said: "This is not fact." She declined further comment, and her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said that he had been unable to find a will.
Jack Allmon, who as South Dakota's secretary of economic and tourism development was Martin's boss, described him as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. But Allmon added that he knew the family in Pierre, and he described it as "very close."
It's not known when Martin married the Pierre woman, but the youngest of their children was said to be about 12 years old.
Allmon said a son in the Pierre family had worked in the state tourism department the last two summers.
Martin traveled frequently between Pierre -- the state capital -- and Sioux Falls, where his division was headquartered. He maintained an office in Pierre.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said she married Martin in 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license. The youngest child of that marriage reportedly is 14 months old.
The wife in Sioux Falls said Martin spent Christmas and other holidays with her.
Martin's last salary checks and his personnel file have been impounded by the state pending a legal determination of how to administer the estate, Atty. Gen. Janklow said.
He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened, and would take testimony from several people, including the wife in Sioux Falls.
Two days before Martin's death, Janklow said, he received an anonymous letter about Martin's double life. He said Martin died before he could ask him about it.
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The Rapid City Journal, 26 Nov 1976, Friday
JANKLOW FILES CLAIM AGAINST MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE (AP) -- Atty. Gen. William Janklow has filed a $5,600 claim against the estate of Robert Martin for travel expenses that Janklow says were paid contrary to state regulations.
Martin was director of economic development when he died in October. After his death, it was learned that he had a family in Pierre and a family in Sioux Falls.
Janklow filed the claim in Hughes County Circuit Court.
Martin had been submitting vouchers for expenses of $11.50 per day, the state maximum for lodging while in Sioux Falls, Secretary of Economic and Tourism Development Jack Allmon said. Allmon was Martin's former boss in Pierre.
He said vouchers generally listed the Tally-ho as Martin's lodging. The Tally-Ho is the name of the apartment complex in Sioux Falls where Martin lived.
Janklow's office said it does not plan to file criminal charges in connection with the case.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 31 Jan 1977, Monday
MARTIN CASE SETTLEMENT NEAR
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Hughes County Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller said Monday that he expected a quick settlement to a case involving the late Robert Martin, who died leaving two families.
"The parties are negotiating," Miller said, noting he expected settlement within the week.
Martin, former state economic director, died in October without leaving a will and officials found later he had families in Sioux Falls and Pierre.
Attorneys representing both women involved in the case have met with Miller and are seeking a settlement that would recognize the legitimacy's of each client's children.
However, one attorney says a fire in St. Louis several years ago destroyed medical records which might have shed some light on whether Martin was the father of the children in one of the families.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 12 Feb 1977, Saturday
MARTIN CASE DECISION MADE BY JUDGE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Circuit Judge Robert Miller ordered Friday that the estate of the late Robert Martin must pay South Dakota government $5,635 for improper lodging payments.
Judge Miller also said that five children of Patricia Martin are to be recognized as legal heirs of Martin's estate.
The decision came in the settlement of the estate of Martin, state director of Economic Development, who died in October.
After his death, it was learned that he had a family with four children in Pierre and a family with five children in Sioux Falls.
Judge Miller said blood tests from Robert Martin's medical records, Patricia Martin and the Sioux Falls children showed that he could have been the father.
"Anticipating this, the parties agreed that Patricia's five children may be recognized as legitimate children of Robert Martin, and as a result legal heirs to the estate," Judge Miller's memorandum opinion said.
It said attorneys for the two families also agreed that Patricia's five children would file no claim against property held by Martin and Mary Lou Martin, the Pierre wife.
The state through Atty. Gen. William Janklow's office entered the suit claiming that Martin submitted fraudulent vouchers and receipts for lodging at the Tally-Ho in Sioux Falls from June 20, 1972 through Sept. 2, 1976.
The Tally-Ho is the apartment complex where Patricia Martin and her children live.
Attorneys for the Martin estate said the claim said the claim should be denied because the claims did not exceed maximum state rates, there was no forgery and no attempt to say the Tally-Ho was a motel or "anything other than it actually was."
Judge Miller said, "I believe the record is clear, that on the nights involved, Martin did not pay any specific amount for lodging upon which he got a receipt."
"A state employe(e) who directs his supposed spouse (especially under the circumstances here where he knows that he had a wife and children in another community) to write a room receipt under her maiden name for money not expended and who obtains reimbursement from the state based upon such claims, has committed fraud," Miller said. "The state is entitled to reimbursement."
Judge Miller said the case before him did not require him to decide the status or validity of the alleged marriage between Martin and Patricia Martin.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 09 Mar 1977, Wednesday
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- An attorney for a woman who claims she was one of two wives of the late Robert Martin said Tuesday a motion picture studio has expressed interest in the movie rights to the story.
Topeka, Kan., attorney William R. Vincent said he has retained a Sioux Falls lawyer to negotiate a contract for Mrs. Pat Martin.
Mrs. Martin, who now lives in Topeka, said she was married to Martin, state director of industrial development, who died last October.
After Martin's death, Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed Martin had two families, one in Pierre and one in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
Vincent said his information on the movie contract was based on reports from the South Dakota attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.
He said he believed the studio, Paramount Pictures, and the attorney had agreed in principle to the contract, but he said so many details were unsettled that the deal may never be completed.
Vincent said he did not know any specifics on monetary arrangements.
"To my knowledge the details of the contract have not been settled," he said.
Vincent said he coordinates a number of legal matters for Mrs. Martin, who says she and Mr. Martin were married in 1968.
A state judge has ruled her five children legal heirs to Martin's estate.
Circuit Judge Robert Miller also ruled that the estate must pay $5,600 to the state for lodging payments made to Martin on his visits to Sioux Falls.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 10 Mar 1977, Thursday
BANK, STATE GET MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- A recommendation to split the estate of the late Robert Martin, the state official who apparently had two families, was accepted by Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller Wednesday.
Martin was the State Industrial and Economic Development director. After his death, it was learned he had families in Pierre and in Sioux Falls.
Attorney Gary Colwill, representing the Pierre family, said there was about $4,200 in Martin's estate.
The judge ruled last month that the estate owed the State of South Dakota about $5,600 for lodging improperly claimed by Martin when he was living in Sioux Falls. Union Bank and Trust Co. of Sioux Falls also had a $5,000 claim against the estate.
Colwill recommended that $1,600 be set aside for administrative costs, including attorneys' fees and other expenses. The remainder would be probated between the Sioux Falls bank and the state government.
Asst. Atty. Gen. Harry Christianson, who represented the estate, agreed to the settlement.
Colwill said the claims make the estate insolvent, meaning there will be nothing left of the heirs.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, representing the Sioux Falls family, also made a $500 claim against the state for his legal fees. But Judge Miller said there was no authority in law to grant the claim.
Earlier, this week, Jorgensen and other attorneys confirmed that a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures was negotiating for movie rights with Mrs. Pat Martin. That Mrs. Martin moved from Sioux Falls to Topeka, Kan., indicating that she wanted to withdraw her children from publicity surrounding the incident.
The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
BOB MARTIN DIES
PIERRE (AP) -- Robert Martin, South Dakota director of economic development, is dead at 52.
He was stricken with an apparent heart attack Saturday.
Martin was appointed director of the state Industrial Development and Expansion Agency in 1967 and became director of economic development under the executive branch reorganization in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 18 Oct 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN DIES
Robert H. Martin, Pierre, S.D., formerly of Emporia, died Sunday morning at his home. He was Director of Industrial Development for South Dakota, and before moving from Emporia in 1967, worked for the Kansas Industrial Development Commission. His home here was as 1221 Walnut St.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church in Pierre, and services here at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery will be Friday. The time of Emporia services will be announced by Blair Mortuary.
Robert Harris Martin was born April 17th, 1924, in Emporia, the son of William A. and Edna L. Harris Martin. He was graduated from Emporia High School in 1942 and served in the U.S. Naval Air Force during World War II. He graduated from the College of Emporia in 1948. He married Mary Lou Anstaett May 31st, 1948, in Emporia. Mr. Martin was a member of the Westminster United Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; four sons, William A. Martin III, Norfolk, Neb., and Robert P., James A. and Eric A. Martin of Pierre; two brothers, William A. Martin Jr., Chickasha, Okla., and Donald W. Martin, Lousanne, Switzerland; his stepfather and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde J. Barraclough, 413 West Fifth Ave.; two stepsisters, Juanita Ferrell, Bixby, Okla., and Loeta Tisdale, Norfolk, Va.; and one grandson, William F. Martin, Norfolk, Neb. He was preceded in death by his father.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 19 Oct 1976, Tuesday
ROBERT H. MARTIN
PIERRE--Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Oahe Presbyterian Church for Robert H. Martin, 52.
Interment will be Friday at the Masonic Circle of the Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Emporia, Kan.
Mr. Martin was born April 17, 1924, at Emporia, Kan. He lived in Kansas until 1967 when he was appointed director of the South Dakota Industrial and Development Agency. He became director of the industrial division of the S.D. Department of Tourism and Economic Development in 1973.
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The Emporia Gazette, 20 Oct 1976, Wednesday
MARTIN SERVICES SET
Graveside services for Robert H. Martin who died Sunday at his home in Pierre, S.D., will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The Rev. David W. Isaac will officiate. The casket will be open at the Blair Mortuary Thursday evening and until time of services on Friday.
A memorial fund has been established at the Pierre National Bank, Pierre, S.D., and contributions may be sent to the bank or Blair Mortuary.
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The Rapid City Journal, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
ROBERT MARTIN'S DUAL LIFE BEING INVESTIGATED
Charlotte Porter
SIOUX FALLS (AP)--Bob Martin, 52, known to his friends in South Dakota government as a quiet, dedicated man, kept a wife and family of four in Pierre while working as director of economic development.
What his friends didn't know until he died of a heart attack three weeks ago was that Martin for eight years also kept a wife and family of five in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the dual life Sunday. The existence of the two families came to light when attorneys for the two began investigating Martin's estate.
Janklow said there was "some question involved in the use of state funds." He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened to hear from the Sioux Falls wife and others involved.
Martin traveled frequently between the state capitol in Pierre and Sioux Falls, often staying for several days. Earlier this year his division was moved to Sioux Falls, but he also maintained an office in Pierre.
A source close to the investigation said vouchers filed by Martin for travel and motel accomodations (sic) in Pierre and Sioux Falls were being checked.
Martin's boss, Jack Allmon, secretary of economic and tourism development, described Martin as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. He described the Pierre family as "very close."
Mrs. Martin of Pierre, asked Sunday about her husband's two lives, said only, "This is not fact," and declined further comment. Her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said he had not been able to find a will.
Two days before Martin's death, Atty. Gen. Janklow received an anonymous letter spelling out Martin's double life. By the time he checked into it, Martin was dead.
Janklow said he had mixed feelings about investigating the case.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
The youngest of Martin's four Pierre children was about 12. The youngest of the Sioux Falls children was 14 months.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said the two were married on Feb.14, 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license, but he said that did not mean one did not exist.
Jorgensen said Martin stayed with his wife while in Sioux Falls.
She said Sunday that Martin also spent Christmas and other holidays with her. Her telephone is listed in her name but the city directory lists her husband as the state official.
Mrs. Martin of Sioux Falls wrote articles for South Dakota Industrial, a magazine published by Martin's division. Atty. Gen. Janklow said "if she wrote for the state magazine and worked for her husband" it would be a violation of the state law which prohibits a department head from hiring people from his own family to work in his department.
On Sunday Patricia Martin of Sioux Falls said she did not know there were two families and that someday she would like to talk to her husband's other wife, Mary Lou Martin of Pierre. "I feel very sorry for her also. It was just as much a shock to her," said Patricia Martin.
Martin, who came to South Dakota from Kansas where he was an assistant director of the state Department of Economic Development, was buried in Kansas.
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The Emporia Gazette, 08 Nov 1976, Monday
LEFT TWO WIVES AND NINE CHILDREN. . . .
OFFICIAL LED DOUBLE LIFE UNDETECTED
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., (AP)--When South Dakota's director of economic development died three weeks ago, he left a wife and four children in Pierre. He also left a wife and five children less than 200 miles away in Sioux Falls.
Bob Martin's double home life surfaced because attorneys for both families inquired about his estate after he died of a heart attack on Oct. 16 at the age of 52.
State Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed the arrangement Sunday and said an investigation was underway, although he said he had "mixed feelings" about it.
"All it's going to do is wreck the innocent kids. And on top of it, their father's dead," he said.
Patricia Martin, the Sioux Falls wife, said Sunday that she did not know there were two families. Someday, she said, she would like to talk to the wife in Pierre.
"I feel very sorry for her also," she said. "It was just as much a shock to her."
Mary Lou Martin, the wife in Pierre, was asked Sunday about the situation, and said: "This is not fact." She declined further comment, and her attorney, Gary Colwill, said he planned to file for the estate on Monday. He said that he had been unable to find a will.
Jack Allmon, who as South Dakota's secretary of economic and tourism development was Martin's boss, described him as a reserved and quiet man who didn't socialize much. But Allmon added that he knew the family in Pierre, and he described it as "very close."
It's not known when Martin married the Pierre woman, but the youngest of their children was said to be about 12 years old.
Allmon said a son in the Pierre family had worked in the state tourism department the last two summers.
Martin traveled frequently between Pierre -- the state capital -- and Sioux Falls, where his division was headquartered. He maintained an office in Pierre.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, who represents the Sioux Falls wife, said she married Martin in 1968. He said he had not been able to find the marriage license. The youngest child of that marriage reportedly is 14 months old.
The wife in Sioux Falls said Martin spent Christmas and other holidays with her.
Martin's last salary checks and his personnel file have been impounded by the state pending a legal determination of how to administer the estate, Atty. Gen. Janklow said.
He said the Minnehaha County grand jury would be convened, and would take testimony from several people, including the wife in Sioux Falls.
Two days before Martin's death, Janklow said, he received an anonymous letter about Martin's double life. He said Martin died before he could ask him about it.
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The Rapid City Journal, 26 Nov 1976, Friday
JANKLOW FILES CLAIM AGAINST MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE (AP) -- Atty. Gen. William Janklow has filed a $5,600 claim against the estate of Robert Martin for travel expenses that Janklow says were paid contrary to state regulations.
Martin was director of economic development when he died in October. After his death, it was learned that he had a family in Pierre and a family in Sioux Falls.
Janklow filed the claim in Hughes County Circuit Court.
Martin had been submitting vouchers for expenses of $11.50 per day, the state maximum for lodging while in Sioux Falls, Secretary of Economic and Tourism Development Jack Allmon said. Allmon was Martin's former boss in Pierre.
He said vouchers generally listed the Tally-ho as Martin's lodging. The Tally-Ho is the name of the apartment complex in Sioux Falls where Martin lived.
Janklow's office said it does not plan to file criminal charges in connection with the case.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 31 Jan 1977, Monday
MARTIN CASE SETTLEMENT NEAR
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Hughes County Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller said Monday that he expected a quick settlement to a case involving the late Robert Martin, who died leaving two families.
"The parties are negotiating," Miller said, noting he expected settlement within the week.
Martin, former state economic director, died in October without leaving a will and officials found later he had families in Sioux Falls and Pierre.
Attorneys representing both women involved in the case have met with Miller and are seeking a settlement that would recognize the legitimacy's of each client's children.
However, one attorney says a fire in St. Louis several years ago destroyed medical records which might have shed some light on whether Martin was the father of the children in one of the families.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 12 Feb 1977, Saturday
MARTIN CASE DECISION MADE BY JUDGE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- Circuit Judge Robert Miller ordered Friday that the estate of the late Robert Martin must pay South Dakota government $5,635 for improper lodging payments.
Judge Miller also said that five children of Patricia Martin are to be recognized as legal heirs of Martin's estate.
The decision came in the settlement of the estate of Martin, state director of Economic Development, who died in October.
After his death, it was learned that he had a family with four children in Pierre and a family with five children in Sioux Falls.
Judge Miller said blood tests from Robert Martin's medical records, Patricia Martin and the Sioux Falls children showed that he could have been the father.
"Anticipating this, the parties agreed that Patricia's five children may be recognized as legitimate children of Robert Martin, and as a result legal heirs to the estate," Judge Miller's memorandum opinion said.
It said attorneys for the two families also agreed that Patricia's five children would file no claim against property held by Martin and Mary Lou Martin, the Pierre wife.
The state through Atty. Gen. William Janklow's office entered the suit claiming that Martin submitted fraudulent vouchers and receipts for lodging at the Tally-Ho in Sioux Falls from June 20, 1972 through Sept. 2, 1976.
The Tally-Ho is the apartment complex where Patricia Martin and her children live.
Attorneys for the Martin estate said the claim said the claim should be denied because the claims did not exceed maximum state rates, there was no forgery and no attempt to say the Tally-Ho was a motel or "anything other than it actually was."
Judge Miller said, "I believe the record is clear, that on the nights involved, Martin did not pay any specific amount for lodging upon which he got a receipt."
"A state employe(e) who directs his supposed spouse (especially under the circumstances here where he knows that he had a wife and children in another community) to write a room receipt under her maiden name for money not expended and who obtains reimbursement from the state based upon such claims, has committed fraud," Miller said. "The state is entitled to reimbursement."
Judge Miller said the case before him did not require him to decide the status or validity of the alleged marriage between Martin and Patricia Martin.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 09 Mar 1977, Wednesday
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- An attorney for a woman who claims she was one of two wives of the late Robert Martin said Tuesday a motion picture studio has expressed interest in the movie rights to the story.
Topeka, Kan., attorney William R. Vincent said he has retained a Sioux Falls lawyer to negotiate a contract for Mrs. Pat Martin.
Mrs. Martin, who now lives in Topeka, said she was married to Martin, state director of industrial development, who died last October.
After Martin's death, Atty. Gen. William Janklow confirmed Martin had two families, one in Pierre and one in Sioux Falls, where the main branch of his office was located.
Vincent said his information on the movie contract was based on reports from the South Dakota attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.
He said he believed the studio, Paramount Pictures, and the attorney had agreed in principle to the contract, but he said so many details were unsettled that the deal may never be completed.
Vincent said he did not know any specifics on monetary arrangements.
"To my knowledge the details of the contract have not been settled," he said.
Vincent said he coordinates a number of legal matters for Mrs. Martin, who says she and Mr. Martin were married in 1968.
A state judge has ruled her five children legal heirs to Martin's estate.
Circuit Judge Robert Miller also ruled that the estate must pay $5,600 to the state for lodging payments made to Martin on his visits to Sioux Falls.
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The Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, 10 Mar 1977, Thursday
BANK, STATE GET MARTIN ESTATE
PIERRE, S. D. (AP) -- A recommendation to split the estate of the late Robert Martin, the state official who apparently had two families, was accepted by Circuit Court Judge Robert Miller Wednesday.
Martin was the State Industrial and Economic Development director. After his death, it was learned he had families in Pierre and in Sioux Falls.
Attorney Gary Colwill, representing the Pierre family, said there was about $4,200 in Martin's estate.
The judge ruled last month that the estate owed the State of South Dakota about $5,600 for lodging improperly claimed by Martin when he was living in Sioux Falls. Union Bank and Trust Co. of Sioux Falls also had a $5,000 claim against the estate.
Colwill recommended that $1,600 be set aside for administrative costs, including attorneys' fees and other expenses. The remainder would be probated between the Sioux Falls bank and the state government.
Asst. Atty. Gen. Harry Christianson, who represented the estate, agreed to the settlement.
Colwill said the claims make the estate insolvent, meaning there will be nothing left of the heirs.
Attorney Steve Jorgensen, representing the Sioux Falls family, also made a $500 claim against the state for his legal fees. But Judge Miller said there was no authority in law to grant the claim.
Earlier, this week, Jorgensen and other attorneys confirmed that a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures was negotiating for movie rights with Mrs. Pat Martin. That Mrs. Martin moved from Sioux Falls to Topeka, Kan., indicating that she wanted to withdraw her children from publicity surrounding the incident.
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