RIVERHEAD, NY – Marcus Reid, a 24-year-old resident of Riverhead, has pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of Branzel Bonner, 25, during a robbery in December 2021, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
Expressing his condolences, District Attorney Tierney acknowledged that no amount of legal action could bring back the life lost. However, he commended the prosecutor for securing Reid’s conviction and holding him accountable for the tragic and senseless shooting.
According to court documents and Reid’s admission during his guilty plea allocution, the incident occurred on December 2, 2021, at around 9:50 a.m. in the woods behind 50 Middle Country Road in Coram. Reid fired several shots from a semiautomatic .40 caliber handgun, aiming at the ground beneath Bonner’s feet. Reid demanded that Bonner hand over his fanny pack, but when Bonner refused, Reid shot him multiple times in the torso. Unable to retrieve the fanny pack, Reid took its contents instead before fleeing the scene. Bonner was pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital less than an hour after the shooting.
In a twist of fate, Reid inadvertently left behind his own debit card at the crime scene, which was subsequently recovered by law enforcement. Surveillance video also captured Reid’s presence.
On February 7, 2024, Reid pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Stephen L. Braslow, to Manslaughter in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Manslaughter in the First Degree is classified as a Class B felony, while Criminal Possession of a Weapon is a Class C felony.
Reid is scheduled to appear in court on March 11, 2024, for sentencing. He is expected to receive a 20-year prison term followed by five years of post-release supervision. Christopher Brocato, Esq., is representing Reid in this case.
Eric S. Aboulafia from the Homicide Bureau is prosecuting the case, with assistance from retired Detectives Patrick Portela and Kenneth Buckheit of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Section.
The conclusion of this case marks the pursuit of justice for Branzel Bonner’s untimely death, as Marcus Reid faces the consequences of his actions.
