On May 8, 2023, the bodies of 27-year-old Brandon (Bobo) Barboza and 26-year-old Xxavier Marchus were discovered in a white Nissan SUV in a field off Farm-to-Market Road 2725 near Aransas Pass, Texas. Both men had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that the shootings occurred at a different location, and the vehicle was subsequently abandoned at the site where it was found.
Barboza and Marchus were close friends and coworkers, both employed as cooks at Roosevelt's, a restaurant in Port Aransas. Their sudden deaths shocked the local community, particularly their colleagues, who remembered them as dedicated workers and amazing individuals.
The investigation led authorities to identify 30-year-old Maurice Sample, a coworker of the victims who also resided in the same apartment complex in Aransas Pass, as a suspect. Sample was apprehended in Maryland by U.S. Marshals on a murder warrant issued by San Patricio County. He had reportedly left Aransas Pass on the morning of the shootings.
Sample was subsequently extradited to Texas to face charges related to the murders of Barboza and Marchus. As of November 16, 2023, he was arraigned following an indictment for the alleged murders, with a plea of not guilty entered on his behalf.
The tragic deaths of Barboza and Marchus have left a lasting impact on their families, friends, and the local community, who continue to mourn their loss and seek justice for the senseless killings.
