Markham residents find body parts in bags brought by relative

Charges have been filed against a Kentucky man who allegedly brought dismembered body parts belonging to his girlfriend on a Greyhound bus to visit his parents in south suburban Markham.

Melvin Martin Jr. allegedly brought luggage “filled with human remains” with him on a Greyhound bus from Kentucky to downtown Chicago before bringing it to the Markham home, according to Markham city spokesman Michael Taylor.

When he arrived at his parents’ home with two bags that looked like they would contain clothes, he repeatedly asked relatives for clothing, authorities said. When Martin visited the Markham Public Library on Monday afternoon, the relatives looked in the bags, found the human remains and called police.

Officers responded to the home and took Martin into custody at the library, Taylor said. Martin faces a felony count of being a fugitive from justice, Taylor said. He was accessing the IRS website on a library computer at the time of his arrest, Markham Police Chief Terry White said Wednesday.

The body parts appeared to belong to Martin’s 31-year-old girlfriend, White said. The couple lived together in Kentucky, and he said some remains were found in Kentucky. The remains had not been positively identified.

“With the remains we have here, we have the advantage of dental records, and then of course there is DNA,” White said. “Of course her upper torso remains in Kentucky, so the level of their forensics, I’m sure, mirrors ours, so I’m quite sure that there’s going to be a positive identification about this victim.”

He said Martin appeared to be “remorseful” while speaking with investigators.

“He indicated that, as grotesque as it might sound, that he still wanted to be with her, at least part of her,” White said.