MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A man and a teenager are facing second-degree murder charges in what is an apparent act of retaliation over the summer for a justifiable homicide the victim had been cleared of, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Ralph Fontil, 23, and 17-year-old Brandon Jordan Merizier were both arrested Tuesday on second-degree murder charges.

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On June 5, the sheriff’s office received a shooting call in the area of Northwest 62nd Place in Ocala Park Estates. The victim, 18-year-old Kobe Bradshaw, was found shot. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

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Detectives investigated over several months and used forensic evidence, video surveillance and cellular phone records to prove that Fontil and Merizier killed Bradshaw, the sheriff’s office said.

“The investigation also revealed the murder was an act of apparent retaliation against Bradshaw, who had only a few days before been cleared of wrongdoing in connection with a justifiable homicide of an associate of the suspects that occurred in the City of Ocala in December 2020,” the sheriff’s office said.

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Fontil is being held at the Marion County Jail without bond. Merizier is in juvenile custody, also without bond, and will be transferred to the Marion County Jail upon being charged as an adult.

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