Body in makeshift backyard grave leads to roommate’s arrest, California cops say
A man was arrested after his roommate’s body was found buried in their backyard, California police say.
After getting reports that Bradley Minder, 31, had not been seen or heard from in several days, police made their way to his Riverside home the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Riverside Police Department said in an Oct. 18 Facebook post.
While investigating Minder’s case, officers learned one of his roommates “had made statements claiming he killed his roommate,” police said.
The roommate, Richard Thomas Martinez, 48, was detained while officers searched the property, according to police.
As detectives searched the backyard, “cadaver dogs alerted to freshly disturbed soil,” police said.
Detectives began digging and found human remains in a makeshift grave, according to police.
The county coroner identified the remains as Minder, the police department said.
Martinez, accused of killing Minder “during an altercation” and burying his body in the backyard, was arrested on a murder charge, police said.
He is being held without bail and is expected to appear in court on Nov. 4, according to police and online jail records.
Riverside is about a 55-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Body in makeshift backyard grave leads to roommate’s arrest, California cops say."
