Police in Tempe arrested two men that are tied into the murder of 21 year old ASU student Zachary Marco over the course of the past two teeks. Today, police announced that a third man has been arrested.
At around 9:30 p.m. on October 17 while he was walking home, Marco was approached by a number of men who attempted to steal his valuables. While defending himself, he was shot and killed at the scene. The men got away with a laptop and a cell phone.
Two weeks ago, Louis Harper, 20, was arrested on unrelated charges but was later tied to the murder. Marion Patterson, 17, was nabbed Monday night in Tempe after taking police on a short-lived foot chase. Harper has been labeled as the shooter by police, while Patterson was an accomplice looking for someone to rob. The third name has not been released as of yet.
The men were linked to the crime by text messages they sent from the victim’s phone bragging about their robbery. Fingerprints of the two criminals were matched with Marco’s computer bag, which was found in an undisclosed location. Both men are habitual criminals and not very shockingly have a history of being in gangs.
Marco had a promising future ahead of him as a political science major. He was planning on going into the family business of law and was among 50 applicants to be an intern with the U.S. Senate.
Both Harper and Patterson face charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery.
The victim’s father, Daniel, stirred up minor controversy when he offered those responsible for his son’s murder the best legal defense team possible – if they came forward themselves. He has since retracted the offer.
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