Amateur MMA fighter beaten to death in Ohio woods
A 27-year-old Bowling Green, Ohio man has been charged with murder for the beating death of a Westlake man whose…
A 27-year-old Bowling Green, Ohio man has been charged with murder for the beating death of a Westlake man whose bloodied body was found Tuesday in the woods on South Bass Island.
The suspect — Zachary Brody — and the victim — Phil Masterson — both had at least some exposure or training in mixed martial arts..
Masterson, 25, was likely beaten to death, investigators said.
Bowling Green police arrested Brody at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday when he was walking near his home.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s deputies spent several hours asking Brody questions about the death before taking him to the Ottawa County jail, where he’s being held without bond.
He was charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault.
It appears a chance encounter between the two men led to a confrontation that ultimately resulted in Masterson’s death, investigators said.
The two appear to have met on the island during the weekend, Ottawa County Sheriff Robert Bratton said.
They were both at a party near an Island Club cabin where Masterson had been staying. At some point, they had an argument that led to shoving and fighting, Bratton said.
Investigators are still trying to figure out what they were arguing about.
When both men left the party, they initially went their separate ways, Bratton said.
But that was the last time witnesses saw Masterson alive.
At about 6 p.m. Monday, Masterson’s mother, Georgeanne Masterson, called Put-in-Bay police and reported her son missing. At that point, she suspected he’d been missing for about 18 hours, according to a police report.
Masterson’s family then showed up at Put-in-Bay police station a few hours later, and on Tuesday they were on South Bass Island looking for him.
A 911 call recorded the family’s anguish when they found his body in the woods near the Island Club, on the south part of the island.
We have been looking for a missing person and we found him, Masterson’s younger brother is heard telling a dispatcher. He’s been murdered.
In the background, a woman is heard crying.
Masterson’s body was found face-down in the woods, clothed only in green shorts and covered with a brown canvas tarp.
News of Masterson’s death has stunned those who knew him — he was a budding talent in the local mixed martial arts community.
He graduated in 2004 from St. Ignatius High School, where employees still remember him, school spokeswoman Lisa Metro said. He also wrestled in the 189-pound weight class at St. Ignatius, a school well-known for its tremendous pool of talented wrestlers.
As an up-and-comer in mixed martial arts, he was a quiet young man but he still looked like a veteran fighter in the ring, said Dan Bobish, founder of Ultimate Cage Battles, a Cleveland-based mixed martial arts organization.
Masterson won his first amateur fight in July.
He was a tough kid, Bobish said. He had a bright future.
Masterson wanted to fight professionally like his older brother, Matt Masterson, Bobish said.
Matt had reportedly been training his younger brother for years, teaching him how to wrestle and fight.
I cannot see one guy doing that, Bobish said of Masterson’s death. One person is not dragging him into the woods.
It’s a shame, Bobish said. His family are good people.
Masterson’s father, Kevin Masterson, is a doctor at an office on Cleveland’s west side.
Brody was a graduate of Bowling Green State University, according to employees at the school’s records department.
His Facebook page lists him as a fraternity alum of Pi Kappa Phi, and it also notes his interest in Brazilian jiu jitsu and submission grappling, which relate to mixed martial arts.
Investigators were led to Brody after interviewing several people who had contact with Masterson when he was on the island this past weekend.
The investigation is ongoing, but it’s an open question as to whether additional arrests could follow in the days ahead, Bratton said.
Bowling Green Municipal Court records show Brody was cited in October 2004 for persistent disorderly conduct.
Also in that incident, one of his fellow fraternity members was granted a temporary protection order against Brody.
Zachary Brody’s bond was set at a total of $750,000 on charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault at a hearing Thursday morning in Ottawa County Municipal Court.
