In a grim discovery on the evening of May 12, 2014, 49-year-old Leroy Branch was found deceased in his Kingsessing home on Florence Avenue. It was Branch's landlord who made the harrowing find, flagging down a passing police officer just after 9:40 p.m. Upon entering the second-floor bedroom, the officer discovered Branch lying face-up on his bed, having sustained gunshot wounds to his head and stomach. Paramedics were called to the scene, but it was too late; Leroy Branch was pronounced dead at 10:04 p.m. The motive for the fatal shooting remained a mystery to investigators.
The investigation into the murder of Leroy Branch led police to 28-year-old Marquise Marshall of East Falls. In early July 2014, Marshall was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder and various gun offenses in connection with Branch's death. Following his arrest, he was held without bail, awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for later that month.
Court records revealed that both Leroy Branch and his accused killer, Marquise Marshall, had extensive and serious criminal histories. Over the years, Branch had faced charges and convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, and numerous drug and gun offenses. Notably, he had been acquitted of a 1998 murder charge in 2005 when witnesses failed to appear in court. Similarly, Marshall had a history of violent charges, including a previous murder charge in 2004, of which he was found not guilty by a jury in 2006. He had also been convicted of robbery in 2007 and had twice been acquitted of attempted murder charges.
