Richard Fox Pleads Guilty to Killing Two Buffalo Women, Suspected of Burying Another in Niagara Falls

Niagara Action
Sep 19
2 min read

Buffalo resident Richard Fox admitted in court Friday that he murdered two women whose remains were discovered together in Chautauqua County in September 2021, according to Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane.

The victims, 50-year-old Marquita Mull and 40-year-old Cassandra Watson, had vanished from Buffalo nearly two decades apart. Investigators say Watson, who had been romantically involved with Fox, disappeared sometime between 2003 and 2004. Mull was last seen in July 2021.

Their bodies were uncovered along a trail in the Town of Portland. Watson’s remains were located on September 26th, 2021, buried in a shallow grave. The following day, Mull’s remains were found less than 20 yards away. DNA testing later confirmed their identities. Authorities believe both women died by strangulation.

Fox, now 62, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. Prosecutors did not offer him a lesser plea.

“We are confident that he is going to spend the rest of his life in state prison,” Keane said after the court proceedings.

Fox has a history of violent offenses. He was previously convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl as well as sexually abusing and attempting to rape a 42-year-old woman. He is classified as a Level 3 sex offender, the state’s highest designation.

At the end of 2023, investigators publicly identified Fox as a suspect in Mull’s killing leading to his January arrest. In February, he was formally charged with Watson’s murder.

In May, human remains were discovered inside a home on Orleans Avenue in Niagara Falls. Fox once lived at that address, and police identified him as a person of interest in connection with the find. Later that month, officers searched his backyard for several hours but did not uncover additional evidence.

“There are ongoing investigations,” Keane said. “If anybody thinks they have any information that may be related to Richard Fox, we are constantly looking at information and evaluating it.”

Authorities urge anyone with details to contact the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the Buffalo Police Department, or the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

Fox is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20th and faces a penalty of 40 years to life in prison.