Robert O. Marshall
Robert O. Marshall | |
---|---|
Queens, New York, U.S.[1] | |
Died | February 21, 2015 | (aged 75)
Occupation | Insurance broker |
Spouse | Maria P. Marshall |
Children | 3 |
Motive | $1.5M insurance policy/Affair |
Conviction(s) |
|
Criminal penalty | Death; commuted to life imprisonment |
Partner(s) |
|
Details | |
Victims | Maria P. Marshall |
Date | September 7, 1984 |
Country | United States |
State(s) | New Jersey |
Location(s) | Garden State Parkway Oyster Creek picnic area Lacey Township |
Weapons | Gun |
Robert Oakley Marshall (December 16, 1939 – February 21, 2015) was an American businessman who in 1984 was charged with (and later convicted of) the contract killing of his wife Maria.
The case attracted the attention of
.In 2002 Marshall wrote the book Tunnel Vision: Trial & Error, in which he challenged the conclusions McGinniss drew in Blind Faith. While pointing out flaws in the
Originally sentenced to death, in 2006, Marshall was resentenced to life in prison, with eligibility for parole in 2014. With a March 2015 parole hearing pending, Marshall died in South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey on February 21, 2015.
Incident
On the night of September 7, 1984, Robert O. Marshall of
After a police investigation, Marshall was arrested on December 19, 1984. The prosecution theorized that Marshall had hired two men to kill his wife so that he could collect on a $1.5 million insurance policy.[4] Also arrested were 47-year-old Robert Cumber of Bossier City, Louisiana, 49-year-old James Davis of Shreveport, Louisiana and 42-year-old Billy Wayne McKinnon of Greenwood, Louisiana, who was a former Caddo Parish, Louisiana deputy officer.[5]
Trial
During the six-week trial, Marshall revealed that he was planning to leave his wife and had hired a private investigator to determine if Maria was consulting with a divorce lawyer, and to determine the whereabouts of over $15,000 of missing casino winnings. Marshall was involved in a 14-month affair with Sarann Kraushaar, a vice-principal at Pinelands Regional High School in Tuckerton, whom he told he wanted to "get rid of" his wife to use her insurance money to pay off his debt.[6]
Marshall was convicted of
Blind Faith
The Marshall case attracted the attention of
During filming, Kerns became very close with the Marshalls' son Roby, who served as a consultant on the miniseries. She introduced Roby to actress Tracey Gold, who had costarred with Kerns on the TV series Growing Pains.[9][7] Roby and Gold later married in 1994 and are currently raising four sons together.[citation needed]
Incarceration and appeal
Though sentenced to death, Marshall remained on
After a June 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision raised the standard for a defense lawyer's duty in death penalty cases, many standing death sentences began to be overturned. Marshall filed a petition arguing that his lawyer had not met minimal constitutional standards. Though lower courts initially rejected his argument, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph E. Irenas ruled on April 8, 2004 in Camden, New Jersey that Marshall received ineffective assistance from his attorney during the death penalty phase of his trial.[10] The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision on November 2, 2005. On March 20, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.[11] On May 12, 2006, Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher declined to retry the death-penalty phase of the case, citing as reasons the difficulty in presenting evidence more than 20 years after the crime, and the probability of many more legal appeals should Marshall be sentenced to death again.[7][12] With resentencing pending, Marshall faced a minimum of 30 years in prison (in which case he would have been released in 2014) and a maximum of life in prison with no possibility for release on parole before serving 30 years. On August 18, 2006, Marshall was resentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole in eight years. This made Marshall, incarcerated since his arrest, eligible for parole in 2014.[4] Until his removal from New Jersey's death row, Marshall had been the longest-serving inmate there since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1982.
In January 2015, a parole board hearing for Marshall — his first — was approved and scheduled for March.[4] Marshall's elder two sons, Roby and Christopher, vowed to speak in front of the board against their father's release. People noted that their younger brother John had, conversely, always believed in Marshall's innocence.[13][14] With his health reportedly failing in the months prior following a "debilitating stroke", Marshall died in South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey on February 21, 2015.[4][14][15][16]
References
- ^ Roberts, Sam (February 25, 2015). "Robert O. Marshal Dies at 75: Convicted in Blind Faith Case". The New York Times.
- ^ Sheppard, R.Z. (January 2, 1989). "Books: Serpents in The Garden State". TIME. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ "THE REGION: Woman, 44, Slain At Parkway Stop". The New York Times. September 8, 1984. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ The Asbury Park Press. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ "THE REGION: 2 Suspects Seized In Jersey Slaying". The New York Times. October 15, 1984. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ Anastasia, George (February 14, 1986). "Ex-mistress Says Marshall Wanted To 'Get Rid Of' Wife". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Larsen, Erik (June 30, 2014). "Could Robert Marshall be free soon?". The Asbury Park Press. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Ellis Nutt, Amy; Spoto, MaryAnn (May 17, 2014). "30 years later, a confession to the Blind Faith murder of Maria Marshall". NJ.com. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ "Tracey Gold Is Expecting Her Fourth Son". People. October 4, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Mansnerus, Laura (April 9, 2004). "New Sentencing Hearing for Death Row Inmate Who Hired Wife's Killer". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ "Court Passes On Death Penalty Case". The New York Times. March 21, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Richard G. (May 13, 2006). "Legal Saga Ends for Man Who Hired Wife's Killer". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Fowler, Tara (January 30, 2015). "Two Sons Fight to Keep Father Who Murdered Their Mom Behind Bars". People. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ a b Truesdell, Jeff (February 23, 2015). "Robert O. Marshall, Convicted in Murder-for-Hire of Wife, Dies After 30 Years in Prison". People. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ Peskoe, Ashley (February 23, 2015). "Blind Faith killer Robert Marshall dies weeks before parole hearing". NJ.com. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ Larsen, Erik (February 23, 2015). "Blind Faith killer Robert Marshall has died, son says". The Asbury Park Press. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
External links
- Larsen, Erik (June 29, 2014). "Blind Faith killer up for parole (Includes photo of Maria Marshall)". The Daily Journal. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- Sherman, Ted (February 24, 2015). "Maintaining innocence, a final chapter for Robert Marshall in prison". NJ.com. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- Robert O Marshall news - The New York Times