Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced Thursday that Richard J. Fox, 62, went before Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes on an indictment charging him with two counts of second-degree murder.

“As a result of the diligent and collaborative work of this multi-agency investigation, I am pleased to announce an indictment against this defendant and the identity of the second victim,” Keane said. “The families of Cassandra Watson and Marquita Mull have waited a long time for answers, and we are committed to obtaining justice for the victims. Our investigation remains ongoing, and I encourage anyone who may have information about the defendant or the victims to contact my office.”

It is alleged that between 2002 and 2004, Fox intentionally caused the death of Watson at a location in the city of Buffalo. On Sept. 26, 2021, a hiker found a human skull while walking along the Chautauqua Rails to Trails near Woleben Road in the town of Portland. The skeletal remains were recovered from the site the next day. Forensic analysis determined that the human remains had been at the site for more than a decade. The identity of the victim was later determined in December 2024. The defendant was allegedly in a relationship with the victim during the time of her disappearance. The victim was not reported as a missing person to law enforcement.

It is further alleged that on or about late June 2021, the defendant intentionally caused the death of a second female victim at another location in the city of Buffalo. The victim, 50-year-old Marquita Mull, was later reported missing by her family. On Sept. 27, 2021, the victim’s body was found during the investigation into the skeletal remains recovered near the hiking trail in Chautauqua County.

Marquita Mull

Fox is to return on Wednesday, April 30 at 9:30 a.m. for a pretrial conference. He remains held without bail.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in prison.

Keane commends Chief of Detectives William C. Macy, Detective Mark Costantino and members of the Buffalo Police Department Homicide, Special Victims and Narcotics units, Sergeant Luke Jonson and members of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the New York State Police, Lakewood-Busti Police Department, Niagara Falls Police Department, Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County Crime Analysis Center, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Othram Labs, and the Applied Forensic Science Department and Anthropology Lab at Mercyhurst University for their work in this investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney John P. Feroleto, Assistant District Attorney Hilarie L. Henry of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Anthony J. Campanella of the Justice Courts Bureau.

Anyone with information about the defendant or the homicides of Watson or Mull is encouraged to contact the Erie County District Attorney’s Office at 716-858-2400.

Richard Fox