7 Year Sentence for Repo Murder

It Was All Avoidable

Professionals hire professionals. A lesson learned the hard way for a Texas man who chose poorly. Now at 76 years of age, he faces spending what little of his life is left in prison for murdering a borrower during a repossession.

This nightmare began in July of 2020 when the Trinity Police Department, responded to a disturbance at 2016 South Robb Street at approximately 10:45 am. Upon arrival, they found 51-year-old Huntsville resident James Brown suffering from gunshot wounds.

Brown was later pronounced deceased at the Huntsville Memorial Hospital.

Arrested at the scene was then 71-year-old Robert Marze, also from Huntsville. Marze, a used car lot owner claimed that he was trying to repossess a vehicle that he had found when the shooting occurred after a scuffle with the victim.

Following a first trial that ended in a hung jury, due to confusing jury instructions, Marze went back to trial and according to the Trinity County District Attorney Bennie Schiro, the evidence did not support Marze’s version of events, to which the jury agreed.

Following four hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a guilty verdict on the charge of first-degree felony murder in February.

On May 27^th Robert Lee Marze was sentenced to seven years in prison for murder.

7 Year Sentence for Repo Murder — 76-year-old Robert Marze

In Tuesday’s hearing, the judge heard from Brown’s family as well as Marze’s family and friends. Afterward, the judge sentenced Marze. The punishment range for the murder charge was from five to 99 years, DA Schiro said.

Schiro had asked for a life sentence. Marze will be eligible for parole in three and a half years.

Marze still stands accused of attempting to bribe Sheriff Woody Wallace, sending through a confidential informant $10,000 cash to the sheriff to “make the charge go away,” Wallace confirmed.

Walker County revoked his bond for the attempt and added a charge of bribery. Wallace said that charge is in the jurisdiction of Walker County, and Marze could still face prosecution for it.

Source: KLTV

EDITORS NOTE

Sad story. There is no winner in this. Mr. Brown is still dead. A 76-year-old man will be spending probably the rest of his life in prison.

There are things that Mr. Marze could have done differently and it starts with him trying to perform a dangerous duty that he was not trained to do. Why? To save money.

The notion that car dealers, lenders or ANY parties that have not received specific repossession compliance and safety training and insurance should be allowed to perform repossessions is absurd. How states are not passing laws to stop untrained, uncertified and uninsured people to repossess is beyond me.

Kevin Armstrong

Publisher