Murder of retired Broward Sheriff’s Office sergeant’s son remains unsolved

Marquel McCormes, 29, was fatally shot outside a Lauderdale Lakes home in 2012.

LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. – The murder of a retired Broward Sheriff’s Office sergeant’s only son remains unsolved about 12 years later in Lauderdale Lakes.

According to a statement BSO released on Wednesday, Detective David Towsley believes Marquel “Quel” McCormes, the son of retired BSO Sgt. Bernard L. McCormes, was the victim of a robbery gone wrong.

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Marquel McCormes wore a large gold chain pendant when he went to the then-FME nightclub on Sept. 1, 2012. He wore it after leaving the nightclub and to a friend’s home.

Marquel McCormes allegedly staggered into a friend’s house and collapsed on the kitchen floor, at about 4 a.m., at 3540 NW 24 St., before Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue responded.

Detectives believed Marquel McCormes, who worked as a warehouse selector, was shot in the back likely while walking into the house. Florida Medical Center declared him dead. He was 29.

About five years after the murder, the reward for information went up from $3,000 to $25,000 without results. His mother, Joanne Banks-Mobley, and his father, who had worked in BSO corrections, asked for the public’s help.

“I have been sick with this, and it’s something that sits in my soul,” the grieving father said during a 2017 news conference with BSO, adding, “I have a hole in my heart forever. I would like whoever did it to just come clean and say you did it.”

Towsley asked anyone with information about the cold case to call him at 954-321-4210, submit a tip through the SaferWatch App, or call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.


About the Author

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

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