On a tragic evening in Brooklyn, a young woman's life was cut short in an act of violence that stemmed from a history of domestic abuse. Michelle Marks, a 23-year-old resident of Crown Heights, was fatally shot as she was leaving her job at a pizzeria in Brooklyn Bridge Park on June 6, 2016. Marks had been working as a waitress and was on her way to the bus stop when she was ambushed. The final moments of her life were filled with terror as she was on the phone with her then-boyfriend.
He overheard her ex-boyfriend, Lamont Wright, confront her before the line went silent. Her last words to her boyfriend were a frantic plea for help: 'Babe, he's here, call the police, he's got a gun'. Shortly after the call disconnected, Marks was found with a gunshot wound to her head.
The investigation quickly focused on Lamont Wright, who had a history of harassing and stalking Marks. In the days leading up to the murder, his behavior had become increasingly threatening. He had confronted her at her workplace and even assaulted her in the hallway of her apartment building just a day before the shooting. Marks had filed police reports against him and was scheduled to get an order of protection. The day after the murder, police took Wright into custody.
Lamont Wright, who was 55 years old at the time of the sentencing, was arrested and charged with the murder of Michelle Marks. During the trial, evidence of his escalating obsession and threats was presented, including Facebook messages and audio recordings. Despite his claims of innocence, cellphone records placed him in the park at the time of the murder. In March 2018, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and stalking. He was subsequently sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
