In the early hours of December 26, 2020, a horrific chain of events began to unfold that would end the life of 21-year-old Nathanael Rodriguez of Bay Shore, New York. Around midnight, Peter Pendzinski, a 24-year-old from Shirley, arrived at Rodriguez's home to pick him up in his Mercedes Benz. Shortly after Rodriguez settled into the passenger seat, the ride took a fatal turn.
Pendzinski produced a revolver and shot Rodriguez five times in the head and neck, killing him instantly in a shocking act of violence.
With Rodriguez's body still in the front seat, Pendzinski drove back to his own residence in Shirley. In a gruesome attempt to conceal his crime, he moved the body to his backyard. There, he covered Rodriguez with leaves, doused him with gasoline, and set the body on fire. The grim scene was discovered only when a passerby noticed the excessive smoke and called 911 to report a fire. When Suffolk County Police officers arrived, they found Pendzinski actively shoveling more leaves onto the flames.
Initially, Pendzinski tried to deceive the officers, telling them someone was inside his house, a lie seemingly intended to distract them. However, as police moved to enter the home, they uncovered the true nature of the situation and promptly arrested him. The subsequent investigation of the property revealed damning evidence of the murder and the attempted cover-up. Investigators found a saw, pliers, and blood-soaked floor mats in the driveway, with some of the blood later confirmed to be Rodriguez's through DNA analysis. The passenger window of the Mercedes was damaged from the gunshots. In a detached garage, police also recovered a Smith & Wesson handgun and a can of gasoline.
Peter Pendzinski was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. On April 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to these charges in Suffolk County Court. During his plea, Pendzinski admitted to the details of the crime, confirming that he had shot Rodriguez and then attempted to dispose of his body by burning it. His guilty plea spared Rodriguez's family the additional pain of a trial. Pendzinski was expected to be sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for the brutal murder.
