Murder of Bobby Kent
Encyclopedia
Bobby Kent was an American
who was murder
ed by seven others, including his best friend, Martin Joseph "Marty" Puccio, Jr. (born March 21, 1973), in Hollywood
in South Florida. Kent attended South Broward High School
in Hollywood, Florida
.
According to Tim Donnelley, who tried all the conspirators
for his murder, one attorney described Kent as "very Eddie Haskell
like. Adults saw him one way (polite and charming) while the kids saw him a completely different way."
Marty Puccio was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Hollywood, Florida
. He is an Italian-American and was raised Roman Catholic. Kent and Puccio had known each other since third grade, had lived on the same block in Hollywood in Broward County since that time, and were good friends as adults. Bad blood, however, existed between the two. Puccio felt "ill-will and hatred" towards Kent because he would bully and pummel Puccio. Both sets of parents were wary of the friendship as well. Puccio's parents, Martin Sr. and Veronica, were cautious because Marty often returned from being with Kent with bruises or bleeding. Fred Kent thought of Puccio as a wayward slacker who had no future (Puccio was a high school dropout) and felt the friendship with his son would destroy the future he was helping him build. Avid body builders, both boys used steroid
s, which, in Kent's case, according to testimonial accounts, significantly contributed to his erratic, aggressive behavior.
Kent and Puccio had experimented with making homosexual porn
movies, hoping to sell them to local shops. Neither Kent nor Puccio actually participated in these movies, but rather allegedly directed them and coaxed Harry Suiter, a Florida
man in his early 40s, to perform on camera. Kent tried to peddle a movie, entitled Rough Boys, to porn shops across South Florida. None took him up on the offer, however, due to the poor audio and video quality as well as the lack of any sexual activities in the film beyond Suiter dancing nude and playing with a dildo
.
Allegedly, Lisa decided that Kent needed to be eliminated permanently and started talking to Marty and other friends about murdering Bobby. On Tuesday, July 13, 1993, Lisa called Ali and told her that "Bobby Kent was planning to come to Palm Bay (where Ali was living) to murder her and smother her baby (by a previous relationship) unless she returned to Broward County to date him again." Ali claimed Lisa asked her to come to her house to discuss murdering Bobby Kent. Ali went to Lisa's house and brought two friends, her current boyfriend, Donald (Donny) Semenec (aged 17), and Heather Swallers (aged 18). Lisa had previously contacted a self-proclaimed "hit man," named Derek Kaufman, who had been recommended by some friends. When Ali, Donny and Heather arrived, they all went to Kaufman's home. They told him they wanted him to get a gun so they could kill Kent that night, but Kaufman told them he could not get a gun that fast. The four went back to Lisa's house and were joined by Lisa's cousin, Derek Dzvirko. Puccio apparently was not a part of these meetings on the 13th.
On July 14 around 11:30p.m. the six joined together at Marty's house and made their plans. They had a lead pipe, two knives and a baseball bat. Marty had asked Bobby Kent to join them which he did around 11:45p.m. All together they headed out to a construction site. Apparently Kent thought he might be able to hook up with his former girlfriend, Ali. As soon as they got there Ali, in accordance with the plan, took Bobby off to a secluded spot where they were talking. Heather Swallers joined them there and while she and Ali distracted Bobby, Donny Semenec came up and stabbed Bobby in the neck with a knife. Bobby yelled out, "Marty, whatever I've done to make you mad, I'm sorry." Then he asked for Marty's help. Instead Marty stuck a knife in Bobby's stomach. Derek Kaufman then approached and hit Bobby with the baseball bat, which was the final blow. After this was all done Derek Dzvirko helped dump the body. Lisa was apparently not involved in the actual murder.
Eventually Martin Puccio was convicted and sentenced to execution but that sentence was reduced in 1997 to life in prison. Donny Semenec was given a life sentence, and Derek Kaufman was given life plus 30 years. Lisa was convicted and given life in prison but that sentence was reduced to 22 years. She gave birth to her and Marty's child during her incarceration. She was released in 2004. Alice Willis was convicted and given a 17 year sentence. She was released in 2001. Derek Dzvirko served 6 years in state prison. Heather Swallers served 5 years and was released on parole in 1998.
(FDOC) #963022, was received by FDOC on August 3, 1995. Originally he was on death row
. In 1997 the Supreme Court of Florida ruled that Puccio should not be executed, so his death sentence was overturned and instead he was sentenced to life in prison, with parole eligibility occurring in 25 years. At the time, Florida still had parole for capital crimes. As of 1995, parole has been abolished in Florida. As of 2011 Puccio is located at the Desoto Annex.
Donald Semenec, FDOC #963020, was received on June 6, 1995. As of 2011 he resides in the Lake Correctional Institution, located in the unincorporated portion of Lake County, Florida
. Derek Kaufman, FDOC#894391, was received by FDOC on June 14, 1995. As of 2011 he resides in the Mayo Correctional Institution. Alice Willis, FDOC #963026, entered FDOC custody on May 31, 1995 and was released from secure custody on September 16, 2001; as of 2011 she is under community supervision.
Lisa Connelly, FDOC #963025, entered FDOC custody on July 26, 1995 and was released from state custody on February 3, 2004. Derek Dzvirko, FDOC #960096, entered FDOC custody on May 17, 1995 and exited custody on October 1, 1999. Heather Swallers, FDOC #162525, was received on May 17, 1995 and was released on February 14, 1998.
book in 1998, Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge (ISBN 0-380-72333-6) written by Jim Schutze.
The book was adapted by Zachary Long (a pseudonym used by David McKenna
after he demanded his name be removed from the film) and Roger Pullis into the 2001 film, Bully
.
The story was also covered during an episode of the A&E
series American Justice
.
In the film, Puccio was portrayed by Brad Renfro
, Kent was portrayed by Nick Stahl
, Willis was portrayed by Bijou Phillips
, Connelly was portrayed by Rachel Miner
, Semenec was portrayed by Michael Pitt
, Swallers was portrayed by Kelli Garner
, Dzvirko was portrayed by Daniel Franzese
, and Kaufman was portrayed by Leo Fitzpatrick
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed by seven others, including his best friend, Martin Joseph "Marty" Puccio, Jr. (born March 21, 1973), in Hollywood
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
in South Florida. Kent attended South Broward High School
South Broward High School
South Broward High School is a Marine Science Magnet school located in the Royal Poinciana neighborhood of Hollywood, Florida. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools district....
in Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
.
According to Tim Donnelley, who tried all the conspirators
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
for his murder, one attorney described Kent as "very Eddie Haskell
Eddie Haskell
Edward Clark "Eddie" Haskell is a fictional character on the Leave It to Beaver television situation comedy, which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957 to 1958 and then on ABC from 1958 to June 20, 1963...
like. Adults saw him one way (polite and charming) while the kids saw him a completely different way."
Marty Puccio was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
. He is an Italian-American and was raised Roman Catholic. Kent and Puccio had known each other since third grade, had lived on the same block in Hollywood in Broward County since that time, and were good friends as adults. Bad blood, however, existed between the two. Puccio felt "ill-will and hatred" towards Kent because he would bully and pummel Puccio. Both sets of parents were wary of the friendship as well. Puccio's parents, Martin Sr. and Veronica, were cautious because Marty often returned from being with Kent with bruises or bleeding. Fred Kent thought of Puccio as a wayward slacker who had no future (Puccio was a high school dropout) and felt the friendship with his son would destroy the future he was helping him build. Avid body builders, both boys used steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s, which, in Kent's case, according to testimonial accounts, significantly contributed to his erratic, aggressive behavior.
Kent and Puccio had experimented with making homosexual porn
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
movies, hoping to sell them to local shops. Neither Kent nor Puccio actually participated in these movies, but rather allegedly directed them and coaxed Harry Suiter, a Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
man in his early 40s, to perform on camera. Kent tried to peddle a movie, entitled Rough Boys, to porn shops across South Florida. None took him up on the offer, however, due to the poor audio and video quality as well as the lack of any sexual activities in the film beyond Suiter dancing nude and playing with a dildo
Dildo
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with partners.- Description and uses :...
.
Murder
Toward the beginning of 1993 Martin (Marty) Puccio (aged 20) began dating Lisa Connelly (aged 18). Being frustrated by how much time her boyfriend spent with Bobby Kent, Lisa tried to distract Kent from Puccio by setting up her friend Alice (Ali) Willis (aged 17) with Kent. Kent and Ali dated a few weeks but Kent was abusive toward Ali and she cut off the relationship. In June, Puccio confided to Lisa that Kent had been abusive to him quite often over the years. Lisa tried to convince him to cut off his friendship, but Marty did not seem able to do that. By that time, Lisa knew she was pregnant by Puccio and was determined that Kent was not going to get in her way of a permanent relationship with Puccio.Allegedly, Lisa decided that Kent needed to be eliminated permanently and started talking to Marty and other friends about murdering Bobby. On Tuesday, July 13, 1993, Lisa called Ali and told her that "Bobby Kent was planning to come to Palm Bay (where Ali was living) to murder her and smother her baby (by a previous relationship) unless she returned to Broward County to date him again." Ali claimed Lisa asked her to come to her house to discuss murdering Bobby Kent. Ali went to Lisa's house and brought two friends, her current boyfriend, Donald (Donny) Semenec (aged 17), and Heather Swallers (aged 18). Lisa had previously contacted a self-proclaimed "hit man," named Derek Kaufman, who had been recommended by some friends. When Ali, Donny and Heather arrived, they all went to Kaufman's home. They told him they wanted him to get a gun so they could kill Kent that night, but Kaufman told them he could not get a gun that fast. The four went back to Lisa's house and were joined by Lisa's cousin, Derek Dzvirko. Puccio apparently was not a part of these meetings on the 13th.
On July 14 around 11:30p.m. the six joined together at Marty's house and made their plans. They had a lead pipe, two knives and a baseball bat. Marty had asked Bobby Kent to join them which he did around 11:45p.m. All together they headed out to a construction site. Apparently Kent thought he might be able to hook up with his former girlfriend, Ali. As soon as they got there Ali, in accordance with the plan, took Bobby off to a secluded spot where they were talking. Heather Swallers joined them there and while she and Ali distracted Bobby, Donny Semenec came up and stabbed Bobby in the neck with a knife. Bobby yelled out, "Marty, whatever I've done to make you mad, I'm sorry." Then he asked for Marty's help. Instead Marty stuck a knife in Bobby's stomach. Derek Kaufman then approached and hit Bobby with the baseball bat, which was the final blow. After this was all done Derek Dzvirko helped dump the body. Lisa was apparently not involved in the actual murder.
Eventually Martin Puccio was convicted and sentenced to execution but that sentence was reduced in 1997 to life in prison. Donny Semenec was given a life sentence, and Derek Kaufman was given life plus 30 years. Lisa was convicted and given life in prison but that sentence was reduced to 22 years. She gave birth to her and Marty's child during her incarceration. She was released in 2004. Alice Willis was convicted and given a 17 year sentence. She was released in 2001. Derek Dzvirko served 6 years in state prison. Heather Swallers served 5 years and was released on parole in 1998.
Incarceration
Martin Puccio, Florida Department of CorrectionsFlorida Department of Corrections
The Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States...
(FDOC) #963022, was received by FDOC on August 3, 1995. Originally he was on death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
. In 1997 the Supreme Court of Florida ruled that Puccio should not be executed, so his death sentence was overturned and instead he was sentenced to life in prison, with parole eligibility occurring in 25 years. At the time, Florida still had parole for capital crimes. As of 1995, parole has been abolished in Florida. As of 2011 Puccio is located at the Desoto Annex.
Donald Semenec, FDOC #963020, was received on June 6, 1995. As of 2011 he resides in the Lake Correctional Institution, located in the unincorporated portion of Lake County, Florida
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...
. Derek Kaufman, FDOC#894391, was received by FDOC on June 14, 1995. As of 2011 he resides in the Mayo Correctional Institution. Alice Willis, FDOC #963026, entered FDOC custody on May 31, 1995 and was released from secure custody on September 16, 2001; as of 2011 she is under community supervision.
Lisa Connelly, FDOC #963025, entered FDOC custody on July 26, 1995 and was released from state custody on February 3, 2004. Derek Dzvirko, FDOC #960096, entered FDOC custody on May 17, 1995 and exited custody on October 1, 1999. Heather Swallers, FDOC #162525, was received on May 17, 1995 and was released on February 14, 1998.
Book and movie
The murder resulted in a best selling true crimeTrue crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
book in 1998, Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge (ISBN 0-380-72333-6) written by Jim Schutze.
The book was adapted by Zachary Long (a pseudonym used by David McKenna
David McKenna (writer)
David McKenna is an American screenwriter and producer. He worked as executive producer of E-Ring.He used the screen name Zachary Long for Bully....
after he demanded his name be removed from the film) and Roger Pullis into the 2001 film, Bully
Bully (film)
Bully is a 2001 independent American drama film, based on actual events, starring Brad Renfro, Bijou Phillips, Rachel Miner, Michael Pitt, Leo Fitzpatrick and Nick Stahl. The story concerns the plot to murder a mutual friend of several young adults in Southern Florida, in revenge for his continual...
.
The story was also covered during an episode of the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
series American Justice
American Justice
American Justice is an American criminal justice television program on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the Selena Murder of a Star, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, or the Wells Fargo heist, with...
.
In the film, Puccio was portrayed by Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
, Kent was portrayed by Nick Stahl
Nick Stahl
Nicolas Kent "Nick" Stahl is an American actor. Starting out as a child actor, he gained recognition for his performance in the 1993 film The Man Without a Face and then embarked on a successful career as a child actor...
, Willis was portrayed by Bijou Phillips
Bijou Phillips
Bijou Lilly Phillips is an American actress, model, and singer. Phillips began her career as a model but soon transitioned herself into acting and singing. When she was 13, she started as a model and became one of the youngest people to grace the cover of Interview Magazine and Italian Vogue....
, Connelly was portrayed by Rachel Miner
Rachel Miner
Rachel Miner is a Broadway, film and television actress, born in New York City.-Personal life:A third generation Miner in show business, she is the daughter of director and teacher Peter Miner and the granddaughter of director/producer Worthington Miner and actress Frances Fuller...
, Semenec was portrayed by Michael Pitt
Michael Pitt
Michael Carmen Pitt is an American actor and musician. Pitt is best known in film for his role in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers, and in television for his portrayal of James "Jimmy" Darmody in the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire.-Personal life:Pitt was born in West Orange, New Jersey, the...
, Swallers was portrayed by Kelli Garner
Kelli Garner
Kelli Brianne Garner is an American actress. Her credits include Man of the House, The Aviator, Bully and Thumbsucker. She appeared in two Green Day music videos "Jesus of Suburbia" and the unreleased ""...
, Dzvirko was portrayed by Daniel Franzese
Daniel Franzese
Daniel Franzese is an American actor. He has worked in film, TV and theater.Franzese was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, the son of Denise and Ralph "R. J." Franzese, a lounge singer...
, and Kaufman was portrayed by Leo Fitzpatrick
Leo Fitzpatrick
Leonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
.