TX BHPH Dealer Guilty For Repo Murder
GROVETON, TEXAS — Robert Marze of Riverside faces life in prison after a Trinity County jury found him guilty of murder on Thursday.
The 75-year-old, who was arrested in July 2020 in connection with the shooting death of James Brown, 51, reportedly over the repossession of a vehicle.
Trinity County District Attorney Bennie Schiro said the jury deliberated about 4 hours before returning the verdict.
Marze, who owned a used car lot, said he was trying to repossess a vehicle that he found on South Robb Street in Trinity, and the shooting happened after a scuffle.
However, Schiro said that the evidence did not support Marze’s version of events, to which the jury agreed.
The charge of murder is a first-degree felony, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison without possibility of parole.
This was the second trial for Marze; the first ended in a hung jury due to confusing jury instructions, Schiro said.
Marze currently is being held in Walker County Jail awaiting sentencing, as well as on a related charge of bribery. Schiro said Marze allegedly tried to bribe Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace with $10,000 to make the case go away.
