A Riverhead man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for his role in a fatal shooting three years ago.
of incarceration plus an additional five years of post-release supervision. Reid’s sentencing comes after his guilty plea to charges of manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, relating to the fatal shooting of Branzel Bonner, 25, also of Riverhead, in December 2021.
On December 2, 2021 at around 9:50 a.m., in a seclusion section of the woods behind 50 Middle Country Road in Coram, Marcus Reid confronted Branzel Bonner. Armed with a semiautomatic .40 caliber handgun, Reid fired several shots at the ground near Bonner’s feet, demanding his fanny pack. When Bonner refused, Reid shot him multiple times in the torso and attempted to take Bonner’s fanny pack, but only managed to remove its contents before fleeing the scene. Bonner, 25, also of Riverhead, succumbed to his injuries within an hour at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Reid, 24, pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024, before Acting Supreme Court Judge Stephen L. Braslow, to first-degree manslaughter (a Class B felony) and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (a Class C felony). His sentencing took place on March 11, 2024, with Justice Braslow imposing a 20-year prison term followed by five years of supervision.
“Today’s sentence brings justice to Mr. Bonner’s family and also removes this dangerous defendant from our streets in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Anyone threatening the safety of our neighborhoods, particularly with gun violence, will be held accountable.”