DRAPER, Utah — A 24-year-old Utah man is now waiting to see how long he will spend in prison following his conviction of first-degree felony murder and first-degree felony aggravated robbery. Prosecutors say the killing started as a drug deal, which quickly went bad.
Alexis Federico Marquez will be sentenced on January 6, 2026.
According to the Salt Lake County District Attorney on August 11, 2022 at around 1:00 a.m., police were called to shots fired at 11715 South State Street in Draper. That's where the Heritage Apartment Complex was located.
When officers arrived, they found the body of Remey Rowland with gunshot wounds to his chest and face. Investigators later determined that Rowland was hit by a total of four bullets.
Through their investigation, police learned that Marquez had arranged to meet Rowland to buy $1,350 of cocaine. When Marquez got into Rowland's vehicle, he only had $1,300 of motion picture production money.
During the trial, Marquez stated that he did get into the car with Rowland, who he claimed saw the money and tried to grab it. Marquez also claimed that Rowland had pointed a gun at him, which is what prompted the shooting.
However, investigators weren't able to find the gun that Marquez claimed Rowland had.
Following the shooting, detectives say Marquez ran back to his apartment to clean up. There a lengthy standoff ensued as police tried to arrest him.
On Wednesday, a jury found Alexis Federico Marquez guilty of one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of first-degree felony aggravated robbery, and two counts of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury.
“We hope that this guilty conviction helps the family of Mr. Rowland feel like they have received some measure of justice for the death of their loved one. This verdict provides the accountability our community expects, and the victim’s family deserves,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
