Martin Joseph "Marty" Puccio Jr. was born on March 21, 1973, in Weston, Florida. He grew up in a suburb of Hollywood, Florida. Marty had Italian-American heritage and was raised in a Catholic family.

From a young age, Marty had a close friendship with Bobby Kent. They lived on the same block and had known each other since third grade. However, their friendship was complicated. Over the years, Bobby bullied Marty, which created tension between them. Marty often returned home with bruises after spending time with Bobby, raising concerns for both of their parents.

Marty's parents, Martin Sr. and Veronica Puccio, worried about the influence Bobby had on their son. They viewed him as a person with no direction. Meanwhile, Bobby's father, Fred Kent, saw Marty as a negative influence on his son and worried about their friendship affecting Bobby's future.

In school, Marty struggled academically and eventually dropped out of high school. He was often seen together with Bobby, practicing bodybuilding and spending time in gyms. There were rumors that they both used steroids, which contributed to Bobby's aggressive behavior.

As teenagers, Marty and Bobby explored making adult films, even if they did not participate in them themselves. They hoped to market these films to local shops but faced challenges due to their poor quality. Despite these activities, Marty and Bobby's relationship remained troubled.

In the early months of 1993, Marty began dating Lisa Connelly, who was also concerned about Bobby's treatment of Marty.

On July 14, 1993, Martin Joseph Puccio Jr. and six other teens conspired to murder Bobby Kent, who was Puccio's lifelong friend. After a series of conflicts and a history of bullying, Puccio felt that Kent's abusive behavior warranted drastic action. The plan to kill Kent began when Lisa Connelly, Puccio's girlfriend, grew frustrated with the hold Kent had on Puccio and suggested that he needed to be eliminated.

On the night of the murder, the group lured Kent to a construction site in Weston, Florida. They claimed they wanted to race cars and spend time together. Puccio contacted Kent and convinced him to meet them there. Once at the site, Kent was taken to a secluded area where he was distracted. Semenec, a friend in the group, approached Kent from behind and stabbed him in the neck. At this point, Kent sought help from Puccio, but instead, Puccio stabbed him in the stomach.

As Kent tried to flee, Puccio and others continued to attack him. Eventually, Puccio slit Kent's throat and hit him on the head. Kaufman, another member of the group, struck Kent with a baseball bat, causing fatal injuries. After they believed Kent was dead, the group helped dispose of his body near a marsh, hoping that alligators would consume it.

In the days following the crime, several of the conspirators began confessing to others about what happened. Connelly confessed to her mother, which led to a series of events that brought the police into the investigation. Derek Dzvirko, another conspirator, eventually led the police to Kent's body.

The legal consequences for the group were severe. Martin Puccio was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. However, this sentence was later reduced to life in prison due to mitigating factors. He remains incarcerated. Other members of the group received various sentences, with some serving life and others serving lesser terms before being released.