The prosecution built its case around missing property, DNA, shell casings and testimony from a woman who was there.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Broward murder trial over the killing of firefighter Christopher Randazzo centered on a trail of evidence that prosecutors said linked two men to a robbery outside a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea resort.
The case against Torrey Holston and Jose Garcia Romero unfolded through courtroom exhibits, witness accounts and a timeline beginning near Aruba Beach Cafe shortly after 1 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2019. Jurors later convicted both men in Randazzo’s death. The verdict left them facing mandatory life sentences, while defense lawyers pointed to questions about the firearm findings and signaled that at least one appeal may follow.
Prosecutors started with the scene. Randazzo was found outside the Southern Seas Resort, face down and missing key belongings. His red Nike sneakers were gone. His iPhone was gone. His wallet, which prosecutors said held $55, was gone. His keys also were missing. A woman who found him told 911 that her husband thought the man lying in front of the hotel was dead. The state argued those missing items matched the robbery story told by witnesses and helped prove motive. A detective with the Broward Sheriff’s Office later testified about responding to the scene and collecting evidence from Randazzo’s body as jurors were shown exhibits one after another.
The physical evidence included bullet casings found near the scene and items that tested positive for suspect DNA. Prosecutors also used surveillance evidence to place the defendants near the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea area during the hours surrounding the killing. The trial record described a late-night setting with beach traffic, hotel frontage and a group moving between the sand, the cafe area and a Nissan Sentra driven by Marco Rico. Rico was not on trial with Holston and Romero. He had already pleaded guilty in 2020 to accessory after the fact and conspiracy charges. His connection to the case mattered because he was with the group and because his then-girlfriend became a key witness.
Cheyenne Papach testified that she was with Rico, Holston and Romero on the night Randazzo was killed. She said she and Rico were on the beach while Holston and Romero went elsewhere. When the group met again at Rico’s car, she said the men admitted taking shoes and an iPhone from a man. She said Holston showed her the phone, but it was locked. Her testimony then moved the timeline back toward the resort, where she said the group returned to get the password from the victim. Prosecutors used that sequence to argue that the defendants did not merely flee after a theft, but came back to the wounded man and escalated the crime.
Papach said Randazzo was on the ground and not fully coherent when Holston and Romero demanded the phone password. She testified that Holston fired a gun and later made statements about what he had done. She said he stated, “I can’t believe I caught a body,” and that he was smiling when he spoke. Prosecutors also pointed to records and testimony that Holston had earlier called the gun his military weapon and said the victim could be robbed and shot. The state presented those statements as evidence of intent and lack of remorse. The defense worked to raise doubt about the details, including what Papach could accurately remember and what her own ties to Rico meant for her credibility.
The firearm question became one of the most important legal issues after the verdict. Jurors convicted Holston and Romero of murder, but they did not find them guilty of possessing or discharging a firearm. Judge Michael A. Usan said the verdict showed the jury found both men involved, but may not have been able to determine beyond a reasonable doubt who had the gun. Romero’s attorney, Jim Lewis, said the verdict was inconsistent because the jury had not made the firearm findings while still convicting both defendants. He said the joint trial hurt Romero because Holston had been described as the alleged gunman. The prosecution, however, secured murder convictions against both men.
The charge history stretched back to the weeks after Randazzo’s death. A Broward County grand jury indicted Holston and Romero on first-degree murder charges in November 2019. Prosecutors also charged them with armed robbery and criminal conspiracy. Holston was 19 at the time, and Romero was 20. Rico, then 32, was charged separately as an accessory after the fact and with conspiracy. Early public statements from investigators described Holston as the gunman and Romero and Rico as accomplices. By trial, the jury had to decide whether the evidence proved the two men on trial were legally responsible for Randazzo’s death during the robbery.
Randazzo’s own path into public service formed a second layer of the case, though prosecutors did not claim he was targeted because he was a firefighter. He had earned his firefighter certification and paramedic license in 2018 and joined the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department about seven months before the killing. He was off duty when he left his bartending job at Aruba Beach Cafe. The prosecution’s account portrayed him as a robbery victim caught in a brief, violent encounter. For the fire rescue community and his family, the trial also reopened the loss of a man whose career in emergency service had barely begun.
After the verdict, Randazzo’s brother, Bobby Randazzo, said the family had waited since October 2019 for justice. A family member said hearing the evidence was painful but gave them the truth after years of wondering. The courtroom also showed the defense preparing for the next phase. Holston was taken away in handcuffs after gesturing toward loved ones. Romero’s lawyer said an appeal was under review. Prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty, but the murder convictions carry mandatory life sentences. That means the June sentencing will be less about whether prison is imposed and more about formally entering the punishment and preserving issues for appeal.
Currently, Holston and Romero remain convicted in Randazzo’s killing. Their June sentencing is the next scheduled milestone, followed by any post-trial motions or appeals filed after the court enters final judgments.
Author note: Last updated June 18, 2026.