A Burlington man is in the Des Moines County jail facing a charge of 1st degree murder after police say he shot and killed 50-year-old Eddie Martin as he was riding his bike around 2:55 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2014.
Burlington Police later arrested and charged 38-year-old Joshua James Royer.
Thursday, August 7, 2014, a bouquet of flowers and candles sat under a tree near the corner of Aetna and South Gunnison, just feet from where Martin was shot multiple times in the lower torso.
"Why? What did he do so wrong? He's riding his bike, ya know. It's Eddie, he rides his bike. Why would someone go up and shoot him like that?" said Brandy Holstein, a friend of Martin's, who placed the flowers and candles under the tree.
Holstein said everybody in Burlington knew who Martin was.
"He was a legend. I mean, he was a good guy and now he's gone," she said.
His co-workers at Applebee's, where he worked as a dishwasher for three years, agree.
"He loved to make people laugh. I think that made his day when he got somebody to giggle or to laugh or sing with him. It just made his life even more better," said Lisa Gosney, manager at Applebee's.
The Applebee's in Burlington is collecting donations to cover the cost of Martin's funeral. A vigil for Martin will be held on the corner of Aetna and South Gunnison in Burlington on August 8, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.