On the evening of December 16, 2015, a 34-year-old male named Mark Marshall was taking his two Chihuahuas for a walk in his West Philadelphia neighborhood. An employee of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, Marshall was also in the process of becoming a Philadelphia police officer. His walk was tragically cut short on the 4600 block of Kingsessing Avenue in what would be described as a brutal and execution-style murder.
A man, described as a Black male between 20 and 30 years of age, with a medium build and a beard, exited from the passenger side of an older model silver or light-colored Dodge or Chrysler minivan. He was wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt and an orange wool hat. An argument reportedly broke out between this man and Marshall. The confrontation escalated, and the unidentified man shot Marshall multiple times before getting back into the minivan, which then fled the scene. Marshall was rushed to Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
In the wake of the shooting, the city of Philadelphia offered a $20,000 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Marshall's death. The reward was later increased to $32,500 through donations from the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the union that represents its workers. Authorities released a sketch of the suspect and a photo of the vehicle involved, appealing to the public for assistance in the investigation. Despite these efforts, no arrests have been made in the case, and the murder of Mark Marshall remains unsolved.
