Family, friends of slain Realtor share their memories as court hearings near

YOUNGSTOWN

From childhood, family and friends say slain real-estate agent Vivian Martin was a leader.

She was a take-charge kind of person from her days as a student at Madison Elementary School right up to the time she was murdered in 2010. She was 67.

About 20 of her friends and family gathered Saturday at St. Andrew AME Church on West Earle Avenue, the church Martin attended, to reminisce about her as hearings for the suspects in her murder near.

Arrested in the crime a few days after her death were Robert Brooks, 29, and Grant Cooper, 25. They are charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery and could face the death penalty, if convicted.

They were indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 10, 2010. The case was assigned to Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, but has yet to come to trial.

Pretrial hearings are scheduled June 13 for Cooper, and June 17 for Brooks.

Read more about Martin and the people whose lives she touched in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.