September 18, 2025
PRESS RELEASE
(Escambia County, Florida) On September 16, 2025, Circuit Judge Linda Nobles sentenced Martin Everardo Cardenas to 30 years in State Prison. Cardenas was convicted of Manslaughter with a Firearm by an Escambia County Jury on August 1, 2025.
On the evening of November 8, 2023, Cardenas killed his step-son Ray Oehlerking (age 47), by shooting him five times with a .45 caliber revolver. Two other people witnessed the shooting, one of which was Cardenas’ former wife Kathy Oehlerking, Ray’s mother. The shooting occurred in the home, just after the family had finished dinner. According to the witnesses, there was no indication of any imminent violence, but Cardenas bumped into Oehlerking and said something unintelligible before walking off to his room. When Oehlerking followed Cardenas to the back of the house, Cardenas shot him. Cardenas testified and claimed he feared Oehlerking was going to kill him.
Cardenas used special .45 caliber bullets designed and marketed as self-defense ammunition (R.I.P. or radically invasive projectile). Additionally, after shooting Oehlerking twice as he stood in the doorway of the room, Cardenas followed Oehlerking through the house to the kitchen, shooting him another three times, one of which was in the back of Oehlerking’s head.
The investigation and arrest were made by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Amy Shea prosecuted the case on behalf of Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida. For more information, please contact Ms. Shea at 850-595-0207.
