05/20/2026
Rocky’s hometown of Westminster remembered its veterans on May 16th, 2026. Rocky is remembered by a memorial brick, we miss you Rocky.
It is our belief that Rocky and Larry were killed because they were Marines, and it was possibly a hate crime. NCIS supplied the updated link to report tips on Rocky's case. We are seeking any witnesses or information anyone may have on Rocky and Larry's deaths. Although it has been 45 years, time has not made their deaths easier. If you have any information on this case, please help us.
NCIS is investigating this horrible double homicide, and in addition to the Crime Stoppers reward, they are offering an additional $10,000 reward. A Crime Stoppers newspaper article from October 30, 1983, states, “1980 murder of 2 Marines still unsolved. The search for the killer or killers of two young Marines in Hawaii Kai is more than three years old. The brutal murders were publicized by Crime Stoppers in June 1981, but police have not received any new leads. Rodney 'Rocky' Padilla, 21, and Lawrence Martens, 19, were found dead Sunday morning, September 7, 1980. Their battered and bullet-riddled bodies were lying in the dirt at Maunalua Bay Beach Park, just off Kalanianaole Highway. A fisherman found the bodies next to the young men's borrowed car about 6:40 a.m. The car, a 1971 blue Buick, was parked under a lone kiawe tree between the park restroom and the boat ramp. The day before, the two lance corporals left the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station heading towards Waikiki for their off-duty day. Police said the two stopped at an ABC store in Waikiki to buy a six-pack of beer in the evening. Where they went afterwards remains a mystery. Police have been told of two motorcycles zooming out of the park a few hours before the murders, but no concrete information has been received.” Contact the NCIS Hotline or Honolulu Crime Stoppers at 808-955-8300. Rewards are available; we need justice for them now!