A former northern Minnesota DFL Party leader entered a guilty plea in connection to a fatal 2024 hit-and-run crash that killed 19-year-old Carter Haithcock.
Cynthia “Cyndy” Martin, 66, submitted a guilty petition in Itasca County District Court. Martin is currently facing one count of criminal vehicular homicide involving a driver who leaves the scene of a collision.
Martin, the former chair of the 8th Congressional District DFL, appeared in court Thursday morning before Judge Heidi M. Chandler. The court has yet to accept the plea deal.
According to the petition, Martin agreed to plead guilty to the criminal vehicular homicide charge in exchange for what court documents describe as an “agreed upon dispositional departure” which includes 364 days in jail and five years of supervised probation.
The charge, criminal vehicular homicide involving a driver who causes a collision and leaves the scene, is a felony offense under Minnesota law.
According to charging documents, Martin struck and killed 19-year-old Haithcock with her vehicle on July 3, 2024, and left the scene in violation of state law.
Martin’s requested sentence includes five years of supervised probation, 364 days in jail, 100 hours of community work service, a $1,085 fine, restitution, a substance abuse assessment, and a psychological evaluation.
One unusual condition of the agreement requires Martin to return to jail every year on July 3 — the anniversary of the fatal crash — by 7 p.m. and remain incarcerated until July 5 at 9 a.m. during each year of probation.
The plea agreement also bars Martin from using or possessing alcohol, controlled substances or non-prescribed mood-altering substances, and prohibits her from entering establishments where alcohol is the primary source of income.
If the court rejects the agreement, Martin would have the right to withdraw her guilty plea and proceed to trial. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3.
The death of Carter Haithcock
Prosecutors say Martin struck and killed Haithcock on Highway 169 near Nashwauk.
Authorities reviewed surveillance footage from the Nashwauk Sinclair gas station on 169 that captured a dark-colored SUV, believed to be Martin’s, with a single headlight pulling over to the side of the southbound lane near the crash site and remaining stopped for about 25 seconds before driving away.
Alpha News previously reported that a State Patrol examination of Martin’s SUV revealed a nonfunctional passenger side headlight, damage to the right front of the vehicle and cracks in the windshield. A piece of fabric recovered from the hood “was consistent with the sweatshirt worn by [Haithcock],” the criminal complaint said.
Martin called 911 the next morning to report she “may have been involved in the accident near Nashwauk,” according to the charges. She told troopers she thought she had hit “an owl or a turkey” and “did not stop” but “continued home,” the charges state.
The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office found the victim died from “extensive blunt force injury, including fracture at the base of the skull with transection of the cervical spine,” according to court records.
Shortly after Haithcock’s death, Alpha News contacted the Itasca County DFL, where Martin was vice chair, about reports of a hit-and-run involving Martin. At the time, the Itasca County DFL seemed to deny her involvement by stating: “The accident has nothing to do with Itasca County DFL.”
In response to a follow-up inquiry, the Itasca County DFL appeared to dismiss the idea of the crash even being newsworthy, writing: “Accidents happen; the accident is under investigation; the accident has nothing to do with Itasca County DFL. End of ‘story.’”
Martin remained chair of the 8th Congressional District DFL until December 2025.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
