Riverside, California Bradley Minder Killed, Allegedly by Roommate, Found Buried in Backyard

RIVERSIDE, California — The family of a man found buried in the backyard of a Riverside home is speaking out after he was allegedly murdered by his roommate.

“I want that monster to know what a beautiful person he took from us,” Leona Hodo said.

Hodo said she last spoke to her son, Bradley Minder, on Oct. 12, after his alleged roommate ransacked his room.

“He wanted to let me know that he was back at the house that he was cleaning out his room because the guy broke into his room and destroyed a lot of his stuff,” she said.

Three days later, her son’s body was found buried in the backyard of the house.

Riverside police said they were called to a home in the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive after Minder had not been seen or heard from for several days.

Inside the home, a man identified as 48-year-old Richard Thomas Martinez made statements claiming he had killed his roommate, police said.

Martinez was held while detectives searched the home. Minder’s remains were found buried in the backyard.

The victim’s family said the two did not know each other and that Martinez occasionally stayed at his grandfather’s house.

“Bradley didn’t really know him, the guy was on drugs or something. He was out of his mind… drugs – he was smoking meth and stuff all the time,” said Vinnie Casella, Minder’s brother.

Casella said his brother was ready to leave the house once he found a new room to rent.

“The day after the police arrested the man, he thought he would be safe and not have to worry about the man being gone, and he came back and all his stuff was destroyed,” Casella said.

He said Martinez was initially arrested for disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance when he attacked his own grandfather and then searched his brother’s room prior to the killing.

“He never got mad at anyone, he was never an angry person, he was loving and had a heart of gold,” Hodo said.

Minder, the eldest in his family, helped raise his younger siblings and is remembered as kind and protective of those he loved.

“He told me everything was going to be okay and said, ‘I love you mom, you’re my rock,’ and that was the last time I spoke to my son,” she said.

Hodo says she will be in court on Nov. 4 when Martinez is charged with murder.

A GoFundMe An account has been set up to help the family with funeral costs.