A Florida jury has found Kamal Padlowski guilty of first-degree murder for killing Melvin Jimenez during a drunken fight on a sailboat and subsequently dumping his body into a marina.
The verdict was delivered Thursday by a jury in Hillsborough County, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Padlowski, 52, faces a mandatory life sentence.
The incident occurred on May 25, 2024, during Memorial Day weekend, at the Little Harbor Marina in Ruskin, Florida. Padlowski and Jimenez, who had met hours earlier at a local bar, were drinking aboard Padlowski’s sailboat. According to court testimony, the two men had met at the tiki-themed Sunset Bar and Grill, where Jimenez was celebrating a new contract with Walmart and Padlowski was celebrating his recent engagement.
The Brawl and Drowning
Witnesses and video evidence presented at trial indicated that a dispute escalated into a violent shove that caused Jimenez, 47, to fall backward, striking his head on the dock. Pathologist Edward Willey testified that Jimenez suffered vertebral fractures in the fall that severed both vertebral arteries, stating that Jimenez would have died regardless of being thrown into the water. The State Attorney’s Office ruled Jimenez died from drowning.
Padlowski testified that he did not know Jimenez was unconscious and believed he was still a threat, prompting him to grab Jimenez’s ankles and push him into the water rather than seeking medical aid or calling for help. Surveillance cameras captured the altercation, showing the men shoving each other on the boat and then on the dock.
Prosecutors countered Padlowski's self-defense claims, presenting video that they said showed Padlowski punching Jimenez and grabbing his throat. Jimenez's wife testified against Padlowski, calling him a liar and a murderer, while his daughter also spoke during the sentencing phase.
Padlowski remained near his boat with two kitchen knives until police arrived, initially telling officers he did not know Jimenez’s whereabouts.
Jimenez’s blood alcohol content was measured at .26, more than three times the legal limit. Padlowski claimed he consumed a smaller amount of alcohol.
Padlowski's sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 17.