By . David Mccormack . and Associated  Press Reporter . A man who claims to be a . contract killer for multiple drug cartels in Mexico and admitted to . killing dozens of people in several states pleaded guilty on Thursday to . murder in Alabama and was sentenced to serve 50 years in prison. Jose Manuel Martinez is also charged in 11 alleged contract killings in California and Florida. Court . records show 52-year-old Martinez pleaded guilty to shooting Jose Ruiz . in Lawrence County in March 2013. Investigators say Ruiz was shot to . death after making a derogatory remark about Martinez's daughter. Jose Manuel Martinez, right, pleaded guilty on Thursday to murder of Jose Ruiz, left, in Alabama and was sentenced to serve 50 years in prison . ‘He was just matter of fact. The guy disrespected his daughter, so he did what he did,’ said District Attorney Errek Jett. The . live-in boyfriend of Martinez's daughter was initially charged in the . slaying of Ruiz, whose body was found in a field in northwest Alabama, . said defense attorney Tommy Turner of Moulton. The . boyfriend was released after telling authorities about Martinez, who . opened up about multiple other killings once he was held in the killing . of Ruiz, said Turner. Turner said it's unclear exactly how many people Martinez claims to have killed at this point.‘I've heard 36 or 46, but I've never asked him,’ he said. Martinez was charged last year with the murder of 20-year-old Javier Huerta, left, and 28-year-old Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, right, who were found shot dead inside a pickup truck along a road in 2006 . October 21, 1980: . David Bedolla, 23, of Lindsay. The victim was shot while driving his . vehicle to work with his wife, brother, and brother-in-law. The shooting . took place between Lindsay and Strathmore in Tulare County.October 1, 1982: Sylvester Ayon, 30, and the attempted murder of 17-year-old G. G., who were both shot while working on a ranchnear . the Santa Ynez area off Refugio road (Santa Barbara County). G.G. survived the shooting while Sylvester Ayon died from multiple gunshot . wounds.October 19, 1982: . 22-year-old Earlimart resident Raul Gonzalez (Tulare County). The . victim was last seen at his home on October 19, 1982. Two days later his . body was located by ranchers off Fountain Springs Road, east of . Porterville. He had been shot and stabbed multiple times.April 8, 1995: . Domingo Perez, 29, of Earlimart, CA (Tulare County). The victim was . reported missing by family members on April 8, 1995. His body was . located in an orange grove just north of Richgrove in Tulare County on . May 23, 1995. He had been shot multiple times.February 14, 2000: Martinez . is charged with the murder of 56-year-old Santiago Perez of Pixley . (Tulare County), who was shot to death in his bed in the early morning. The victim’s four minor children were home at the time of the shooting.February 15, 2007: . Jose Alvarado, 25 (Kern County). The victim was located on a dirt . access road outside of the town of McFarland in Kern County. He had been . shot multiple times.March 23, 2009: . Juan Bautista Moreno, 52 (Kern County). The victim was located in an . orange grove south of Elmo Highway near McFarland in Kern County. He had . been shot multiple times.September 30, 2009: . Joaquin Barragan, 45, of Earlimart. The victim was located on the bank . of Deer Creek canal just east of Earlimart by ranchers working the area. He had been missing since September 27, 2009. Mr. Barragan suffered . multiple gunshot wounds. February 7, 2011: . Gonzalo Urquieta, 54, of Earlimart. The victim was located in an orange . grove just outside of the town of Richgrove, CA. He had been missing . since February 5, 2011. Mr. Urquieta was shot multiple times. Jett . said Martinez told investigators about killing people for pay all . across the southern half of the United States, the West Coast and some . Midwestern states. ‘It . was 15 or 16 states he provided details on when he was cooperating,’ said Jett. It's unclear how much he is still cooperating now that . multiple murder charges have been filed, he said. While . Martinez is charged in nine contract slayings in California, Jett and . Turner said he will likely be prosecuted next in Florida because . prosecutors there placed a judicial hold on him first. ‘He . was a debt collector and enforcer. The Florida cases stem from two men . there who owed a huge drug debt, and he's alleged to have been sent to . Florida to collect the money that was owed,’ Turner said. The . Marion County Sheriff's Office in Florida last year charged Martinez . with murder in the deaths of 20-year-old Javier Huerta and 28-year-old . Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, who were found shot dead inside a pickup truck . along a road in the Ocala National Forest in Nov. 8, 2006, according to . local media reports. Authorities . were able to break the case when lab results found Martinez's DNA on a . cigarette butt found in a soda can in the truck that hadn't previously . been processed. Martinez . told authorities he lured the men to a Volusia County construction site . because Huerta had stolen 10 kilograms of cocaine worth $210,000. Martinez told investigators he had Huerta call his wife for the money on Nov. 6, 2006. The . wife told authorities her husband called her and told her to remove . $150,000 from a safe buried in their backyard. She said her husband . showed up and took an additional $40,000 from inside the home and left. Martinez told authorities he killed the men so they couldn't identify him to authorities. Investigators . say that once Martinez was arrested in Arizona shortly after crossing . the border from Mexico and sent to Alabama to stand trial he claimed to . be a contract killer for drug cartels who has killed dozens of people in . several states. He . told authorities he worked for multiple drug cartels but said he would . never disclose the names or affiliations of his criminal associates. After . Martinez began confessing to multiple killings, investigators from . other law enforcement agencies across the country came to question him. It . became clear through interviews that the slayings he spoke of had . happened and he had information about them that no one else would know, . authorities said. Authorities . in California say he killed six people in Tulare County, two in Kern . County and one Santa Barbara County between 1980 and 2011. The victims . ranged in age from 22 to 56, investigators said. One . man was shot dead in 1980 driving to work in the morning, while two men . were shot in 1982 working on a ranch, one surviving. Life of crime? Martinez claims to have been in a Mexican drug cartel. Such organisations are renowned for their violence, with this picture showing an arsenal of 204 weapons seized from the cartel 'Los Zetas' The . same year, another man went missing before being found two days later . by ranchers shot and stabbed to death. Yet another was found in 2000 . shot to death in bed with his four children at home. In . addition to the nine murder counts, Martinez was charged in California . with one count of attempted murder and the special circumstances of . committing multiple murders, lying in wait and kidnapping. Four murder charges include the allegation he committed the crime for financial gain, the criminal complaint says. The California charges would make Martinez eligible for a death sentence, if he is convicted. Tulare . County Assistant District Attorney Anthony Fultz welcomed news of the . guilty plea and said his office will immediately contact officials in . Alabama. He said he wants to start the process to bring Martinez back to California for prosecution.
Jose Manuel Martinez was sentenced to 50 years on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to the murder of Jose Ruiz in Lawrence County, Alabama .
Ruiz was shot to .
death in March 2013 after making a derogatory remark about Martinez's daughter .
Once arrested, Martinez .
opened up about multiple other killings .
He claims to have been a .
contract killer for multiple drug cartels in Mexico and has admitted to .
killing as many as 46 people across the U.S.
Martinez has so far been charged with nine alleged contract killings in California and two in Florida .
The debt collector and enforcer is expected to be prosecuted in Florida next because .
prosecutors there placed a judicial hold on him first .
Martinez .
is accused of murdering 20-year-old Javier Huerta and 28-year-old .
Gustavo Olivares-Rivas over 10 kilograms of cocaine worth $210,000 .
By . David Mccormack . and Associated  Press Reporter . A man who claims to be a . contract killer for multiple drug cartels in Mexico and admitted to . killing dozens of people in several states pleaded guilty on Thursday to . murder in Alabama and was sentenced to serve 50 years in prison. Jose Manuel Martinez is also charged in 11 alleged contract killings in California and Florida. Court . records show 52-year-old Martinez pleaded guilty to shooting Jose Ruiz . in Lawrence County in March 2013. Investigators say Ruiz was shot to . death after making a derogatory remark about Martinez's daughter. Jose Manuel Martinez, right, pleaded guilty on Thursday to murder of Jose Ruiz, left, in Alabama and was sentenced to serve 50 years in prison . ‘He was just matter of fact. The guy disrespected his daughter, so he did what he did,’ said District Attorney Errek Jett. The . live-in boyfriend of Martinez's daughter was initially charged in the . slaying of Ruiz, whose body was found in a field in northwest Alabama, . said defense attorney Tommy Turner of Moulton. The . boyfriend was released after telling authorities about Martinez, who . opened up about multiple other killings once he was held in the killing . of Ruiz, said Turner. Turner said it's unclear exactly how many people Martinez claims to have killed at this point.‘I've heard 36 or 46, but I've never asked him,’ he said. Martinez was charged last year with the murder of 20-year-old Javier Huerta, left, and 28-year-old Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, right, who were found shot dead inside a pickup truck along a road in 2006 . October 21, 1980: . David Bedolla, 23, of Lindsay. The victim was shot while driving his . vehicle to work with his wife, brother, and brother-in-law. The shooting . took place between Lindsay and Strathmore in Tulare County.October 1, 1982: Sylvester Ayon, 30, and the attempted murder of 17-year-old G. G., who were both shot while working on a ranchnear . the Santa Ynez area off Refugio road (Santa Barbara County). G.G. survived the shooting while Sylvester Ayon died from multiple gunshot . wounds.October 19, 1982: . 22-year-old Earlimart resident Raul Gonzalez (Tulare County). The . victim was last seen at his home on October 19, 1982. Two days later his . body was located by ranchers off Fountain Springs Road, east of . Porterville. He had been shot and stabbed multiple times.April 8, 1995: . Domingo Perez, 29, of Earlimart, CA (Tulare County). The victim was . reported missing by family members on April 8, 1995. His body was . located in an orange grove just north of Richgrove in Tulare County on . May 23, 1995. He had been shot multiple times.February 14, 2000: Martinez . is charged with the murder of 56-year-old Santiago Perez of Pixley . (Tulare County), who was shot to death in his bed in the early morning. The victim’s four minor children were home at the time of the shooting.February 15, 2007: . Jose Alvarado, 25 (Kern County). The victim was located on a dirt . access road outside of the town of McFarland in Kern County. He had been . shot multiple times.March 23, 2009: . Juan Bautista Moreno, 52 (Kern County). The victim was located in an . orange grove south of Elmo Highway near McFarland in Kern County. He had . been shot multiple times.September 30, 2009: . Joaquin Barragan, 45, of Earlimart. The victim was located on the bank . of Deer Creek canal just east of Earlimart by ranchers working the area. He had been missing since September 27, 2009. Mr. Barragan suffered . multiple gunshot wounds. February 7, 2011: . Gonzalo Urquieta, 54, of Earlimart. The victim was located in an orange . grove just outside of the town of Richgrove, CA. He had been missing . since February 5, 2011. Mr. Urquieta was shot multiple times. Jett . said Martinez told investigators about killing people for pay all . across the southern half of the United States, the West Coast and some . Midwestern states. ‘It . was 15 or 16 states he provided details on when he was cooperating,’ said Jett. It's unclear how much he is still cooperating now that . multiple murder charges have been filed, he said. While . Martinez is charged in nine contract slayings in California, Jett and . Turner said he will likely be prosecuted next in Florida because . prosecutors there placed a judicial hold on him first. ‘He . was a debt collector and enforcer. The Florida cases stem from two men . there who owed a huge drug debt, and he's alleged to have been sent to . Florida to collect the money that was owed,’ Turner said. The . Marion County Sheriff's Office in Florida last year charged Martinez . with murder in the deaths of 20-year-old Javier Huerta and 28-year-old . Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, who were found shot dead inside a pickup truck . along a road in the Ocala National Forest in Nov. 8, 2006, according to . local media reports. Authorities . were able to break the case when lab results found Martinez's DNA on a . cigarette butt found in a soda can in the truck that hadn't previously . been processed. Martinez . told authorities he lured the men to a Volusia County construction site . because Huerta had stolen 10 kilograms of cocaine worth $210,000. Martinez told investigators he had Huerta call his wife for the money on Nov. 6, 2006. The . wife told authorities her husband called her and told her to remove . $150,000 from a safe buried in their backyard. She said her husband . showed up and took an additional $40,000 from inside the home and left. Martinez told authorities he killed the men so they couldn't identify him to authorities. Investigators . say that once Martinez was arrested in Arizona shortly after crossing . the border from Mexico and sent to Alabama to stand trial he claimed to . be a contract killer for drug cartels who has killed dozens of people in . several states. He . told authorities he worked for multiple drug cartels but said he would . never disclose the names or affiliations of his criminal associates. After . Martinez began confessing to multiple killings, investigators from . other law enforcement agencies across the country came to question him. It . became clear through interviews that the slayings he spoke of had . happened and he had information about them that no one else would know, . authorities said. Authorities . in California say he killed six people in Tulare County, two in Kern . County and one Santa Barbara County between 1980 and 2011. The victims . ranged in age from 22 to 56, investigators said. One . man was shot dead in 1980 driving to work in the morning, while two men . were shot in 1982 working on a ranch, one surviving. Life of crime? Martinez claims to have been in a Mexican drug cartel. Such organisations are renowned for their violence, with this picture showing an arsenal of 204 weapons seized from the cartel 'Los Zetas' The . same year, another man went missing before being found two days later . by ranchers shot and stabbed to death. Yet another was found in 2000 . shot to death in bed with his four children at home. In . addition to the nine murder counts, Martinez was charged in California . with one count of attempted murder and the special circumstances of . committing multiple murders, lying in wait and kidnapping. Four murder charges include the allegation he committed the crime for financial gain, the criminal complaint says. The California charges would make Martinez eligible for a death sentence, if he is convicted. Tulare . County Assistant District Attorney Anthony Fultz welcomed news of the . guilty plea and said his office will immediately contact officials in . Alabama. He said he wants to start the process to bring Martinez back to California for prosecution.
killer for multiple drug cartels in Mexico and admitted to . killing dozens of people in several Alabama and was sentenced to serve 50 years in 11 alleged contract killings in California and in Lawrence County in March 2013. Investigators say Ruiz was shot to . death after making a derogatory remark about Martinez's daughter. Jose Manuel Martinez, right, pleaded guilty on Thursday to murder of Jose Ruiz, left, in Alabama about Martinez, who . opened up about multiple exactly how many people Martinez claims to have 2000: Martinez . is charged with the murder of prosecuted next in Florida because . prosecutors there placed a judicial hold on him first. ‘He . was a debt collector and enforcer. The Florida murder in the deaths of 20-year-old Javier Huerta and 28-year-old . Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, who kilograms of cocaine worth $210,000. Martinez trial he claimed to . be a contract killer for