A Florida jury found 52-year-old Kamal Padlowski guilty of murder for shoving 47-year-old Melvin Jimenez during a dockside argument, dragging his unconscious body by the ankles, and dumping him into a marina where he drowned.
On May 25, 2024, over Memorial Day weekend, the two men met for the first time at a local tiki bar before heading to Padlowski’s boat to keep drinking.
An argument erupted on the dock, and surveillance footage showed Padlowski forcefully shoving Jimenez, who fell backward, hit his head and neck on the fiberglass dock, and lay motionless.
Padlowski then grabbed him by the ankles, dragged him across the dock, and threw him into the water. A witness later overheard Padlowski say, “I think I just killed my best friend,” and when deputies asked if anyone had been shot, he replied, “I wish.”
At trial, Padlowski claimed self-defense, saying Jimenez had threatened him and his fiancée before attacking, and that he believed Jimenez was still alive when put in the water. Prosecutors argued Jimenez was already incapacitated, trying to leave, and posed no immediate threat.
The verdict came on July 23, 2026, with sentencing set for August 17, 2026, where Padlowski faces a mandatory or potential life sentence.
On May 25, 2024, over Memorial Day weekend, the two men met for the first time at a local tiki bar before heading to Padlowski’s boat to keep drinking.
An argument erupted on the dock, and surveillance footage showed Padlowski forcefully shoving Jimenez, who fell backward, hit his head and neck on the fiberglass dock, and lay motionless.
Padlowski then grabbed him by the ankles, dragged him across the dock, and threw him into the water. A witness later overheard Padlowski say, “I think I just killed my best friend,” and when deputies asked if anyone had been shot, he replied, “I wish.”
At trial, Padlowski claimed self-defense, saying Jimenez had threatened him and his fiancée before attacking, and that he believed Jimenez was still alive when put in the water. Prosecutors argued Jimenez was already incapacitated, trying to leave, and posed no immediate threat.
The verdict came on July 23, 2026, with sentencing set for August 17, 2026, where Padlowski faces a mandatory or potential life sentence.
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