The police sprang into action after a fatal shooting took place in an apartment in Ocala, Florida. They discovered Marc Bruss dead inside, along with the shooter, who had been captured. But whether the shot was justified remained in doubt. In ‘Guilty or Innocent: Murdered My Tenant or Self-Defense?’ on A&E, Stanley Jensen’s trial and conviction are examined. Let’s investigate what occurred, shall we?
How Did Marc Bruss Pass Away?
Ocala native Marc Alan Bruss was born to Max and Della Bruss in August 1970. He attended Lake Weir High School in Ocala and graduated. He grew up with two sisters. The 49-year-old was well known for liking to go fishing and spend out with friends. Marc had already served in the United States Marine Corps during the first Gulf War before the event.
Marc had been sharing an apartment in Ocala with another resident at the time of his death. However, the 49-year-situation old’s swiftly deteriorated when he was challenged by his killer, which resulted in multiple gunshots being heard inside the house. When the police arrived, they discovered Marc’s body on the floor, covered in bullets. With a 9mm gun, he was shot twice in the side and four times in the back.
Who killed Marc Bruss?
It was the shooter, Stanley Jensen, who dialled 911. He turned himself in to the police and confessed to shooting Marc, but the legal dispute over whether the shooting was necessary eventually came up in court. Marc’s landlord was named Stanley. He had served in the US Air Force and held a number of jobs before purchasing a home that he then rented to Marc and another tenant. At the time, Stanley’s renters were paying him weekly without a lease or other rental arrangement.
Marc’s drug usage and other strange behaviour, according to Stanley’s defence attorney, were the reasons why his client wanted Marc to leave the residence. Stanley added that Marc had not paid his rent in the period before the shooting. Thus, he and a different tenant removed Marc’s belongings from the property that day. But Marc was unhappy when he got home. Stanley alleged that his tenant had made a hammer attack threat against him.
A sheriff’s deputy then arrived and asked Stanley to leave and pursue the eviction process according to the law. Stanley, however, claimed to have seen Marc with a machete in his hand when he later returned to the residence. The 49-year-old allegedly threatened to kill him, according to him. Stanley said he shot Marc when he didn’t put down the gun. He was questioned by the prosecution about moving the machete while speaking to 911. Stanley responded, “I did it, and it was a terrible mistake. I’m unable to explain why I moved it.
Today, where is Stanley Jensen?
The defence said there was no proof Marc actually attacked Stanley as he alleged. Furthermore, Christopher Hofacker, a witness, was there at the house when the shooting happened. He admitted hearing Marc talking to someone while in the restroom. Christopher claims that Marc asked a person if he was going to shoot him. Christopher stayed in the bathroom as shots were fired.
Ultimately, the jury rejected Stanley’s claim of self-defense in April 2022, when he was 60 years old, and he was found guilty of second-degree murder. Later, he insisted that he was sorry for what had happened and had just intended to defend the other renter. Stanley was given a 50-year prison term in July 2022. According to prison records, he is still detained in the RMC-Main Unit in Lake Butler, Florida. In 2072, he will be eligible for release.