The Boy Who Snapped – Marco Tulio Flores

An article by:
30th April 2019  •  5 min read

Marco Tulio Flores had been sexually abused by a family friend from when he was just 9-years-old. As a teenager, he found a photograph of a 6-year-old nephew in the predator's home. The traumatic memories came flooding back and he snapped.


The Boy Who Snapped - Marco Tulio Flores

Morbidology Podcast

The article continues below

Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Using investigative research combined with primary audio, Morbidology takes an in-depth look at true crime cases from all across the world.


Marco Tulio Flores, 17, had been tormented by memories of sexual abuse at the hands of a family friend when he found a photograph of a young relative in his abuser’s home. The traumatic memories came flooding back.

Jaime Galdamez, a 31-year-old native of El Salvador who lived in East Boston, was a family friend of the Flores family who lived across the street. Galdamez had also sexually abused Flores from when he was 9-years-old until he hit puberty. Flores had never told anybody about the abuse and Galdamez remained a close family friend, even being entrusted to babysit the Flores children after school.1

On the 22nd of May, 2011, Flores picked up a video camera and aimed it at himself. “Today is the day,” he said. “I’m off now. I’m gonna go for a bliss walk, then I’m gonna head down there.”2 Flores then picked up a dog chain he had purchased for the dog his mother made him get rid of as well as a knife. It was this warm summer evening that Flores decided he was going to “kill a pervert.”

A week earlier, Flores had found a photograph of his 6-year-old nephew in Galdamez’s apartment. Something inside him snapped and all the traumatic memories came flooding back; he knew what the photograph meant and knew he needed to protect his nephew to prevent him going through the same treatment he went through. Now, he was making the way to Galdamez’s apartment on Saratoga Street. Once inside, he tied Galdamez up and confronted him about the years of sexual abuse; while alone after school, Galdamez had molested the young Flores on numerous occasions.

The Boy Who Snapped - Marco Tulio Flores

Jaime Galdamez. Credit: Suffolk County District’s Attorney.

On camera, Galdamez confessed to the abuse after initially denying it. At one point, Flores lifted out the knife and was preparing to slit Galdamez’s throat. However, Galdamez requested that he be strangled to death with the dog chain instead as “there would be too much blood” and it would be too painful. Flores complied and then asked Galdamez if he was ready. When Galdamez nodded, Flores placed the dog chain around Galdamez’s neck and tightened his grip until Galdamez stopped moving. 3

When Galdamez stopped breathing, Flores looked towards the video recorder and said it had felt good to accomplish his goal – to protect other children and get rid of his abuser. “I can think so much clearer now,” he said as he sat down on the bed.

Flores then dragged Galdamez’s body to the bed and doused it with lighter fluid and went home. As sun broke the following morning, Flores returned to Galdamez’s apartment and stole a computer and large screen television. He then dropped a lighted match through the window and fled from the scene. When the apartment went up in flames, the two neighbours living in the same apartment block fled and called the local fire department. When the flames were extinguished, the firefighters came across the bound and burned body of Galdamez. The grisly murder shocked the small community. They were even more shocked when 17-year-old Flores handed himself into the East Boston Police Station just 18 hours later, confessing to the murder and the motivation behind the murder.

On the computer that Flores had taken from the apartment, forensic specialists found hundreds of pornographic images of young boys. They also found encrypted chats in which Galdamez spoke about abusing Flores and other young boys. He wrote that boys around ten-year-old were his preferred victim because they were the most susceptible, adding that “they will ask for it.” Shortly before his murder, Galdamez had posted a photograph of Flores as a young boy, captioning it “He was so beautiful then.” He also wrote that he knew a number of young boys and that “there are some good ones coming up,” including Flores’ nephew.

Flores’ defense lawyer, James Budreau, stated: “The dam broke. He couldn’t stop himself. He did what he did not out of vigilantism, but a perceived threat to these children.”4 Flores did not want another child to go through what he went through. The prosecution argued that Flores’ actions were committed with “deliberate premeditation and extreme atrocity.”

As news of the murder made the headlines, many called for Flores to be released. District Attorney Ian Polumaum said: “I know there are people out there saying ‘Let him go; don’t prosecute him at all.’ But you can’t go out and kill somebody no matter what he did to you.”

The Boy Who Snapped - Marco Tulio Flores
Marco Tulio Flores. Credit: The Boston Globe.

The case took two years to finally come to court. Initially, Flores had been charged with first-degree murder which carried a life sentence. However, in 2013, Flores took a deal in which he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, arson and attempting to escape. The attempt to escape charge stemmed from an unsuccessful attempt to flee from Nashua Street Jail in late 2011. During his sentencing phase, Flores remained composed and polite. However, when the abuse he suffered as a child was detailed, he became visibility upset and had to fight back tears. Flores was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years probation.

When he is released, he will most likely be deported back to El Salvador since he is not an American citizen and pleaded guilty to a felony. He is currently incarcerated at the Souza-Baranowski maximum security prison in Shirley. “Killing someone is never worth it,” he said. “But I don’t feel bad for him. I feel like he was a very bad person. It’s not like he tried to seek help. He chose to do it. I’m not saying I don’t have remorse. But I don’t feel sad for him passing away.”


5 10 votes
Article Rating

Footnotes:

  1. The Metrowest Daily News, 3 August, 2011 – “Not Guilty Plea to Murder, Arson”
  2. The Boston Globe, 24 May, 2015 – “The Boy Who Burned Inside”
  3. The Boston Globe, 2 August, 2011 – “Alleged Killer Cited Years of Abuse
  4. The Boston Globe, 17 May, 2013 – “Sex-Abuse Victim Pleads Guilty to Slaying”

Comments:

Subscribe
Notify me of
guest

24 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kate Black
Kate Black
5 years ago

Oops, repeat.

Kate Black
Kate Black
5 years ago

So sorry he had to go through that as a child, but at least he killed that monster before his nephew could be harmed. Too bad he now has to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

john
john
5 years ago
Reply to  Kate Black

The average life sentence is 7 years, for good behavior he may serve half his 15 year sentence. Who knows how much time he will actually spend. But he will get out.

Lucy Bigley
Lucy Bigley
5 years ago

He deserves to be free.

Samantha Sampson
Samantha Sampson
5 years ago

The justice system is fucked if they think this guy deserves to be locked away for that long… one

robin bernal
robin bernal
4 years ago

especially with all the proof on videos that clearly shows he was a pedophile abuser. with this type of proof, they should let this man out he already had his life ruined.

Ida B. Rocha
Ida B. Rocha
5 years ago

I don’t believe that he should go to prison either. Yes, I believe that the act was premeditated and done with extreme atrocity, but what about the atrocity done to him. What about the damage……the mental, physical and emotional damage done to this young man by this monster? He simply…..snapped.

Louise
Louise
3 years ago

Why was that not a case of in defense of others ???

Bree
Bree
3 years ago

So, since the murder was videotaped, and the victim verbally asked the guy if he was ready to be killed…. and the guy nodded… in consent or in an agreeing manner….. wouldnt that be technically giving consent to the boy and the boys idea/intentions of killing his abuser….
Asking for a friend…… 🙃

Last edited 3 years ago by Bree
Tippi
Tippi
3 years ago
Reply to  Bree

You can’t consent to murder. That’s just not a thing in any legal sense.

Augh
Augh
9 months ago
Reply to  Tippi

i mean he basically did though

Augh
Augh
9 months ago
Reply to  Bree

i guess

Elle
Elle
3 years ago

I mean he did the world a favour. I hope he gets out soon.

Sam
Sam
3 years ago

This is terrible once again the judicial system failed us. He had been molested so many times and had to continue to see this horrible person then when he finally snaps because he doesn’t want any other child to get hurt he is the one that ends up in Prison how is that fair?? They should have got Flores the help that he needed and let him go. But No he has to suffer for the rest of his life because he took a stand against a pervert.

Terri Dark
Terri Dark
3 years ago
Reply to  Sam

Trump could have given him a pardon 🤦🏽‍♀️

Augh
Augh
9 months ago
Reply to  Terri Dark

what the fuck does trump have to do with marco tulio flores

Karen a foster
Karen a foster
3 years ago

The fact he listened to his abuser when he asked to be strangled shows this young man still had compassion. He could have drawn out the execution and tortured the monster. He was a victim. He saved others from being future victims. This man should be free and allowed to remain in the States, as his actions made it a slightly safer place for others to live.

Augh
Augh
9 months ago
Reply to  Karen a foster

yes

Piper Cook
Piper Cook
2 years ago

Prevented a child molester from harming more kids, let the guy choose how he wanted to die… this kid did nothing wrong the way I see it. He’s a hero!

Augh
Augh
9 months ago
Reply to  Piper Cook

well if im being honest a child molester shouldnt get to choose how they want to die-

lulabelllalula
lulabelllalula
2 years ago

Give this kid citizenship and a freaking medal.

Nikulr1984
Nikulr1984
1 year ago
Reply to  lulabelllalula

This is the one that bothers me. Like if you’re going to deport him after because he’s not a citizen then don’t charge him like a citizen

Amanda
Amanda
1 month ago

Da should have sropp

Amanda
Amanda
1 month ago

Da should have dropped the charges the sicko was still raping kids . Hopefully that da got voted out

You may also like:

24
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x