Murder charges allege man fled police, caused crash killing metro-east couple
A St. Louis man faces 10 criminal charges, including two for first-degree murder, after he allegedly fled police at high speeds and caused a wreck that killed two in Wood River Thursday.
Miko D. Martin, 29, was allegedly evading Wood River Police when he struck a vehicle carrying two from Alton, George “Randy” Julian, 66, and his wife, Donna M. Julian, 68, who were killed in the wreck, a news release from the Madison County State’s Attorney said Tuesday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Illinois 143 and Illinois 3, the release stated. Martin is alleged to have fled from a traffic stop near Sixth Street in Wood River, driving through a parking lot, over a grass median, and through an intersection before driving onto Illinois 143.
According to the news release, Martin was alleged to have been driving at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone and drove through a red light, striking the Julians’ car, which was knocked off the roadway and became engulfed in flames.
A defense attorney for Martin was not listed in court records. His pretrial detention hearing was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Martin received 10 charges total:
Two counts of first-degree murder
One count of possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender
One count relating to being a felon in possession of a weapon
Two counts of reckless homicide
One count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm
Three counts of aggravated fleeing
State’s Attorney Tom Haine said the charges reflect the severity of the incident.
“Running from the police is a deliberate choice that can result in irreversible loss,” Haine said in a statement. “When someone flees law enforcement and endangers lives, they must be held fully accountable … Our heart goes out to the friends and family of the Julians as they face this sudden and devastating loss.”
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 12:39 PM.
