Tampa Man Arrested on Courthouse Steps to Face Second-Degree Murder Charge

Within moments of leaving a Hillsborough County courtroom on a related charge of evidence tampering, a Tampa man was cuffed and hustled back to the county jail to face second-degree murder charges.

Tyler Chase Bardin is accused by Hillsborough County authorities of involvement in the killing of Brian Vessel late last year. Investigators point to him as the man who killed Vessel outside the apartment in which Vessel lived with Bardin’s mother and half-brother.

Though authorities have not revealed their rationale for waiting until last week to make the arrest, they did not wait long beyond the end of his appearance to face tampering of evidence charges, scooping him up as he left court.

According to authorities, Bardin was involved in an altercation between his mother and Vessel in which Vessel struck Tish Bardin, Tyler’s mother. They say Tish Bardin bore the marks of a fight on her body, including a black eye and bruises, when they arrived at the apartment that fateful night.

Investigators say Bardin placed a call to 9-1-1 that evening reporting the fight and saying that he would likely kill Vessel if the police did not soon arrive to intervene.

Unfortunately for Vessel, Tampa police were not quick enough to diffuse the situation, as investigators say Bardin shot Vessel shortly thereafter.

Per the coroner, Vessel was the recipient of five gunshot wounds, two of which were mortal. Bardin allegedly informed officials in a second call to 9-1-1 that he had done the deed, and he subsequently is alleged to have disposed of the murder weapon. Deputies say he later led them down several false trails in the search for the murder weapon, earning him the charge of evidence tampering.

After a short stand-off in the apartment, Bardin was apprehended and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. The 22-year-old is currently facing charges of second-degree murder. Bardin was released on April 13 after posting a bond of $100,000.

The Law Offices of Bjorn Brunvand have been representing people charged with capital murder, felony drug charges, drunk driving, government fraud, and white-collar crimes for over a quarter century. Contact our office today to discuss your Tampa Bay-area state or federal charges