Murder amongst friends: The brutal murder of Bobby Kent
On the night of July 14, 1993, 20-year-old Bobby Kent told his parents that he was going out for the evening. He didn’t say where, or who he was going to be with, but assured them he would be back. Around midnight his best friend, 20-year-old Marty Puccio, called and left a message on the answering machine saying he was calling Bobby as promised to let him know he had arrived home safely. Bobby’s father received the message and checked his son’s room to see if he was back. He was surprised and worried to find his bed empty. The next morning there was still no word from Bobby. His parents Fred and Farrah Kent called the police. Four days later his body was discovered, and his parents were shocked to learn their son’s killer was his best friend.
Bobby and Marty had been friends since grade school. They were inseparable, attending the same high school, working in the same grocery store, and living on the same block in Hollywood, Florida. They also shared a passion for weightlifting spending hours at the local gym. But their friendship was far from healthy. Bobby was physically abusive to Marty, once setting his Doberman on him and laughing as the dog mauled him. He instigated Marty to dance at a gay strip club and shared whatever money he earned. When the latter tried to quit, Bobby forbade it and threatened he’d tell all their friends that Marty was gay. Their parents too had reservations about their friendship. Bobby’s parents considered Marty, who’d dropped out of high school, a bad influence on their son who had graduated from community college. Marty’s parents Martin Snr and Veronica Puccio, weren’t happy their son always came back from Bobby’s place bruised and bleeding. Also unhappy about the relationship was Marty’s 18yr-old girlfriend Lisa Connolly. She was angry about how much time Marty spent with Bobby and the ill-treatment he had told her he received. She desperately wanted to end the friendship, so she set Bobby up with her friend 19yr-old Alice Willis. But Alice ended the relationship after a few weeks claiming Bobby was abusive and had raped her. Unable to convince Marty to break his relationship with Bobby, and pregnant for Marty’s baby, Lisa decided Bobby should be permanently removed, so she could have her boyfriend to herself.
On July 13,Lisa invited Alice to her house to discuss how to carry out the murder. Alice bought along her current boyfriend, 18yr-old Donald Semenec and another friend ,an 18yr- old crack addict named Heather Swallers. That night, Lisa and Alice met with Bobby. The plan was to have Alice distract him with sex while,Lisa would shoot him with a pistol she’d brought with her. But the plan fell apart. Undeterred Lisa arranged another meeting. In attendance were Marty, Alice, Donald, Heather, and Lisa’s 18-year-old cousin Derek Dzvirko. Alice brought along 24-year-old Derek Kaufman a high school dropout, who claimed to be a Mafia hitman, to assist in the murder.
Bobby Kent’s murder was discussed and agreed on and the murder weapons, two scuba knives and a baseball bat ,were produced.
Just before midnight on July 14, all seven teenagers picked Bobby up from his house and drove to a remote area on the edge of the Everglades. They all got out of the car except Lisa. While Bobby was distracted by Alice, Donald stabbed him in the back of the neck.As he cried to Marty for help, the latter stabbed him in the stomach, then slits his throat. Derek Kaufman then beat him to death with the bat.He then threatened to kill them if they told anyone about the murder. They dumped the body at the edge of the marsh, hoping it would get eaten by alligators. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and four days later the body was discovered.
Lisa and her cousin Derek didn’t take heed of Kaufmans threat and confessed to their mothers, who contacted the police. All seven conspirators were arrested.
Nearly two years later ,all seven stood trial and all pleaded not guilty ,each blaming the other for the crime. They were all found guilty.
Marty Puccio was sentenced to death, but had the sentence reduced to life in prison.
Derek Kaufman was sentenced to life in prison.
Derek Dzvirko was sentenced to six years.He was released in 1999.
Donald Semenec was sentenced to life in prison.
Alice Willis was sentenced to forty years, but was released in 2001.
Heather Swallace was sentenced to six years. She was released in 1998.
Lisa Connelly was sentenced to life in prison, but her sentence was reduced. She was released in 2004.
A film bully was made in 2001 based on this story and having watched it I highly recommend it.
