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Suspect's body found; steakhouse owner, community talk

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The six day manhunt for the shooter of Steiner Ranch Steakhouse manager Chris Martin ended on Saturday bringing relief to the family, restaurant owners and community.

The body of Brian Beck - suspect in last week's shooting death of 29-year-old Martin - was found dead Saturday in a steep ravine near the 12000 block of Bullick Hollow Road, near the last place he was seen alive.

Martin was the manager of the steakhouse which had only been open for 10 days before the fatal shooting on Mon. Dec. 8 by disgruntled, ex-employee Beck.

The Martin family expressed relief in knowing that Beck's body was found.

“It is devastating,” said Dan Martin, the father of the victim. He and his wife Mellissa and their daughter continue to grieve their loss.

An estimated 600 family members, friends and co-workers attended Martin's funeral on Wed., Dec. 10 at Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home on Anderson Mill Road.

Dan described their son as generous, kind and excited to help start the new steakhouse. “He was very passionate about the place,” Dan said.

After being closed for three nights, the Steakhouse reopened on Thursday, Dec. 11. There is a wreath at the entrance to the steakhouse honoring Martin.

The owners and management were shocked and saddened by last week's events.

“It's a tragedy for the family,” said Cosmo Palmieri, spokesperson and one of five owners of the steakhouse. “Employees are trying to get back to some sense of normalcy. We're trying to pull together as a group and provide counseling to any who needs counseling.”

Those at the restaurant are also relieved Beck has been found. “It's brought closure to the tragedy from that stand point,” Palmieri said.

On Dec. 13 at 3:45 p.m., a team with a cadaver dog found Beck's body near where he was last seen walking into the woods, said Roger Wade, Travis County Sheriff's spokesman. The Travis County medical examiner's office positively identified the body on Sunday as Beck's.

Search teams combed a 1,000-acre stretch of dense woods. Initially, blood hounds were used to track Beck and would have likely picked up his scent sooner, but weather affected the search.

“My understanding is that the weather, strong winds and rain may have blown the scent down to the creek,” Wade said. It was not until a cadaver dog came back up the creek on Saturday that Beck's body was discovered.

“They told me that he was situated where someone could be within two feet of him and not have known he was there,” Wade said.

Wade could not comment on if it appeared that Beck took his own life. The autopsy report will show how long the body was there, he said.

“I don't know if there can ever be closure with something so tragic, but we are all glad the search can be put to rest,” said Scott Selman, executive director of the Steiner Ranch Community Association.

“We all hope that Steiner Ranch can be isolated from tragedy like this, so this incident is certainly very emotional to all that live here,” Selman said. “I'm certain the emotions we feel are nothing compared to the family and friends of Mr. Martin. Our hearts go out to all of them.”

Witnesses told detectives Martin and Beck, a busboy, got into an argument Saturday night, Dec. 6. Beck, 27, returned the following Monday just before the restaurant opened and pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and shot Martin several times.

Beck, who had only lived in the Austin area for a year, drove away from the crime scene to Bullick Hollow Road.

As the manhunt continued last week, many in the Four Points area did not know if Beck was still a threat to the area.

Diane LeBleu, a River Place resident, is glad that Beck's body was found but remains saddened for the Martin family. “It is such a terrible tragedy,” she said.

“What would be so bad as to escalate matters into taking another's life? What is wrong with people in this country that wrongs cannot be resolved with words or other civil actions?” she said.

Martin spent his last night at work assisting Julie Woche, Realtor with Turnquist Partners Realtors, with a watch party she hosted at the steakhouse with more than 60 guests. He was the manager in charge of the event for the airing of “House Hunters.”

Woche, who also lives in Steiner Ranch, described Martin as someone “who could not have been nicer or more professional.”

The steakhouse owners and management were surprised, happy and thankful for those in the community who came out to support them last weekend even before Beck's body was found. “[That] was big for us,” Palmieri said. The community's support has been a huge help through the devastating situation, he added.

Martin graduated from Westwood High School in Austin and studied kinesiology at University of Mary Hardin Baylor.

Prior to working at the steakhouse, Martin worked at another Austin restaurant, Cool River, for 10 years, said his father Dan Martin. He was hired in May to help run the upscale Steiner Ranch Steakhouse which opened the day after Thanksgiving. At its pre-opening event, Chris proudly gave his parents a room-by-room tour.

The Martin family plans to scatter Chris' ashes at the family ranch in Lexington, Texas. The Chris Martin Memorial Fund has been set up at the Roundtop State Bank in Lexington.

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