RIVERSIDE, CA — A man who was arrested earlier this month stands accused of killing his roommate with a shovel and burying him in their Riverside backyard.
The family of the victim — 31-year-old Bradley Minder — is working to raise money to honor him.
“Bradley Minder’s life was taken way too soon. He passed away this week. He was such a sweet, loving soul,” family members wrote on their GoFundMe campaign, which has raised $4,850.
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“With such a short notice of his passing, his mother, sisters, nieces, and nephew are currently in Kansas, having to travel to California,” according to the fundraiser.
Police have accused 48-year-old Richard Thomas Martinez of killing Minder, on Oct. 15.
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Martinez has been charged with murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony. He is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail and is scheduled to appear for an arraignment on Nov. 4 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Minder was found dead earlier this month after officers received reports on Oct. 17 that he had not been seen or heard from for several days, according to the Riverside Police Department.
During a police visit to his home on the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive, officers were told that one of the occupants had just claimed to have killed his roommate, police said.
After a homicide and forensics unit was called in, cadaver canines found freshly disturbed soil in the backyard, where detectives then started digging. Human remains were uncovered and identified as Minder by the Riverside Sheriff-Coroner’s Office.
Martinez was arrested following the discovery.
According to documents filed in Riverside County, authorities believe Martinez and Minder were in the middle of an altercation when Martinez picked up a deadly weapon — likely a shovel — and beat Minder to death, Riverside police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said.
Martinez is facing a potential life sentence if convicted, according to court documents. He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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