Judge set parole eligibility at 45 years after teen’s 2024 death.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Milwaukee County judge sentenced Christian Martin to life in prison Thursday for the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy who was waiting for a bus on the city’s south side in October 2024. Martin will not be eligible for extended supervision for 45 years.
The sentence closes the trial phase of a case that stirred anger and grief after prosecutors said the teen was killed on his way to school. A jury found Martin guilty in December of first-degree intentional homicide. In court, relatives of the victim described the loss as permanent, while the judge condemned the violence and Martin’s refusal to address the court.
Martin, 19, was convicted after a three-day trial in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said the victim, Nelson Manuel Lopez Correa, was shot in the head while standing at a bus stop near South 16th Street and West Forest Home Avenue. The killing happened the morning of Oct. 28, 2024, before 11 a.m., according to court accounts presented in earlier filings. Lopez Correa died several days later at the hospital. Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan told the court the shot was an “execution shot,” arguing Martin singled out a child in a public place and then ran.
At Thursday’s sentencing, Milwaukee County Judge David Borowski said the case fit a troubling pattern of violence that has become too common in the city. He criticized Martin for offering no apology, no letter, and no statement to the court. Borowski also told Martin, “There are monsters on this Earth, and maybe you are one of them.” Martin shook his head at points but declined to speak when the judge asked whether he wanted to address the court. The life sentence with parole eligibility after 45 years matched the judge’s decision to recognize the seriousness of the crime while setting a specific timeline for any possible release decades from now.
Prosecutors tied the shooting to a dispute that began earlier that morning. They said Martin was upset after a breakup with a girl who had been with Lopez Correa that day. Investigators said Martin followed a small group as they walked to the bus stop. In earlier court records and media reports, witnesses said Martin wore a ski mask and argued with the girl as he trailed the group. One friend later told police he walked a short distance away to check a bus schedule at a nearby relative’s home, then returned and heard a gunshot and saw Lopez Correa fall. Security video cited in charging documents showed the shooter firing and then running from the scene into a nearby field.
Family members addressed the court with emotional statements that focused on who Lopez Correa was before the shooting. His mother, Ivelisse Correa, told the judge her son was “sweet, funny, humble, respectful and full of life.” She blamed what she described as Martin’s lack of care and guidance while growing up and said that neglect fueled the killing. The victim’s uncle, Luis Correa, said the sentence felt correct but could not undo the damage. “We wanted more, but it’s right,” he said. “It’s not going to bring him back, but it’s right.”
The case also drew attention because investigators said Martin fled the state after the shooting. Authorities later located him in Iowa. Earlier reports said he was arrested there after law enforcement stopped him during a traffic-related encounter and took him into custody on a warrant tied to the Milwaukee homicide. The out-of-state arrest helped prosecutors argue he was avoiding accountability, a point they said supported a life sentence. The defense, which challenged parts of the state’s timeline and intent at trial, faced the high bar that comes with Wisconsin’s first-degree intentional homicide law once jurors returned a guilty verdict.
In Wisconsin, a conviction for first-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence. The court then decides when, if ever, a person can be considered for extended supervision. Borowski’s decision means Martin must serve at least 45 years before he can ask to be released under supervision, and any release decision would still depend on future review processes and conditions. For Lopez Correa’s family, the number was less important than the finality of the verdict and the fact that the court formally recognized the killing as intentional.
The shooting occurred at a bus stop used by students and workers, a detail relatives and prosecutors returned to repeatedly in court. The location near 16th Street and Forest Home Avenue sits along a busy corridor with homes, businesses and regular transit traffic. Prosecutors said the setting underlined the risk to the public and the randomness felt by neighbors who learned a child had been shot while waiting for a ride. The judge also spoke broadly about how quickly violence can fade from public attention, saying the death of a child should never be treated as routine.
After the December conviction, the case moved into a sentencing phase that included preparation of court reports and victim-impact statements. Thursday’s hearing marked the formal end of that process, though Martin still has the right to pursue post-conviction motions and appeals. Any appeal would focus on the trial record and legal rulings, not a retrial of facts in the courtroom. Prosecutors said the jury’s decision and the judge’s sentence together delivered accountability for the teen’s death.
By Thursday evening, Martin had been sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for extended supervision after 45 years. Court records showed no immediate change to the conviction, and the next major milestone would be any post-conviction filings or an appeal notice, which typically must be made within set deadlines after sentencing.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.