PORT JEFFERSON MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the guilty jury verdict to a murder committed by 20-year-old Joseph Garcia.

“This brazen murder which took place in broad daylight in a crowded business district shook the community,” said Tierney. “We hope that the jury’s verdict finding defendant Garcia guilty on all counts will give solace to both the community and to the family of David Bliss.   Wanton violence like this will not be tolerated.”

The evidence at trial established that on March 24, 2021, Garcia shot Bliss once in the abdomen at approximately 3:30 p.m. in the village of Port Jefferson which caused the victim’s death within minutes. 

Bliss, 25, of Shirley was unknown to Garcia but had gotten into a verbal dispute with him while Bliss was walking on Main Street to pick up a pizza.  There were multiple video sources that captured the shooting and clearly showed Garcia deliberately discharging the firearm at Bliss and then attempting to pull trigger at least two additional times but the gun apparently jammed.  Immediately after the murder, Garcia and his associates fled the shooting in a vehicle going to a residence located in Setauket.  The residence was equipped with video surveillance outside and inside.  The video surveillance showed Garcia arriving at that location with the firearm used in the murder approximately 10 minutes after it occurred.

The video also showed Garcia laughing and joking about the shooting.  In the audio on the video, Garcia made admissions to the shooting and had the plans to flee the jurisdiction to avoid being arrested.

Garcia was convicted of Second Degree Murder, Second Degree Criminal Possession Weapon and Second Degree Criminal Contempt. Garcia will be sentenced on May 9, 2022.

He faces 25 years to life on the Murder charge, 3.5 to 15 years on the Criminal Possession of a Weapon charge and 1 year on the Criminal Contempt charge.

This case was prosecuted by Raphael Pearl, Bureau Chief of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Tuorto of the Major Crime Bureau. 

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

William J. Lindsay County Complex • Building 77 • 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 853-4169 | SuffolkCountyNY.gov/DA