Riverhead Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in 2021 Shooting

A Riverhead man has admitted fatally shooting a 25-year-old man during a robbery three years ago.

Marcus Reid pleaded guilty on February 7 at Suffolk County court to felony charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Branzel Bonner.

“A life was taken far too soon,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. “While this plea cannot undo the  victim’s death, I thank the prosecutor on this case for securing the defendant’s conviction and holding him accountable for this senseless fatal shooting.”  

Prosecutors said the 24-year-old gunman shot Branzel Bonner with a semiautomatic .40 caliber handgun shortly before 10 a.m. on December 2, 2021 in a wooded area of Coram after demanding that the victim hand over his fanny pack. 

Reid then stole the contents of the fanny pack and fled the scene. Bonner was pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital about an hour later.

Police found the shooter’s debit card at the scene and he was captured on surveillance video, authorities said.

Judge Stephen Braslow is expected to sentence Reid on March 11 to 20 years in prison with five years of post-release supervision.