What did Bryan Marquez do? Florida man charged over killing roommate

22-year-old Bryan Marquez confessed to killing his roommate for throwing away his plate of food and then partially burying him in the backyard of a home in Fort Pierce, Florida.

On February 12, 2023, Bryan was apprehended after police responded to a call by an individual who reported seeing blood and what seemed to be a shallow grave in the yard of a house in Fort Pierce. Bryan Marquez, who is also an undocumented immigrant living in Florida, was charged with first-degree murder on February 15, 2023.

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Bryan Marquez killed his roommate and punched him in the ribs and face

The police responded to a tip and found a partially exposed foot and body inside an 18-inch deep makeshift grave. CBS12 reported that Fort Pierce Police Sergeant Charles Donnon said that the responding officers were caught off guard when they first arrived at the scene.

He said:

"Where we found the decedent was a very small place, and at first, they were very concerned that it was a child, so everybody was on edge right from the beginning."

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by The New York Post, the Fort Pierce Police Department mentioned that officers collected samples of blood found in the yard, along with rocks, gloves, shovels, plywood, and a blanket.

The affidavit also mentions that Bryan Marquez, who was wearing a pair of white shorts covered in dirt and suspected blood, was brought in for interrogation and reportedly admitted to killing his roommate. He also claimed that he only knew his roommate as "Guanajuato," which is also the namesake of a city in central Mexico.

Bryan Marquez told authorities that the victim tossed a plate of food on the floor and disrespected him, to which he did not immediately react. He mentioned that after getting intoxicated later that night, he chose to confront his roommate about the prior incident, which led to him punching him in the ribs and face and knocking him to the ground.

The court documents stated that once the victim was down, Marquez collected dirt and gravel and forced it into the victim's mouth twice. Following that, he yelled at the victim to stand up, and when there was no movement or signs of breathing, Marquez realized that the victim was dead.

Instead of calling 911, Bryan Marquez dragged the victim by his feet to another part of the yard to bury him, after which he went to sleep.

An autopsy of the victim revealed he was a Hispanic man between 35 and 45 years old who had suffered severe facial injuries, a broken nose, and broken ribs. Gravel and soil were found inside the victim’s larynx, lungs, trachea, and stomach, contributing to his death by blocking his airway. The cause of death was stated to be blunt force trauma.

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Bryan Marquez was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement

According to a report by CBS12, Sergeant Charles Donnon stated that prior to being booked on the murder charge, Bryan Marquez was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was going to be deported to his native country, Mexico.

Both Marquez and the victim were unauthorized immigrants residing illegally in Florida. Authorities identified the victim and notified his family but did not reveal his identity publicly.

Sergeant Donnon also reported that the police learned that Bryan Marquez had contacted his family and was buying a bus ticket to get back to Mexico.

He said:

“We want to make sure that we’re not releasing somebody that did this horrific of a crime.”

Police thanked all the agencies who assisted with the investigation, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.