Who killed Gail Mark? In the winter of 1982, in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, 28-year-old Gail Mark, a wife and mother, was brutally murdered in her own home. On the morning of December 30th, she was found stabbed and strangled in the bedroom of her duplex apartment. Her three-year-old daughter was discovered locked in a bathroom, unharmed but for the traumatic memory of what she had witnessed. To investigators, the little girl could only say that 'E.T.'
was the perpetrator, a chilling reference to the popular movie character whose mask the killer had worn.
From the outset, suspicion fell upon Gail's husband, Franklin Mark. Investigators learned that the couple had a tumultuous marriage and that Gail had previously expressed fears that her husband might physically harm her, even specifically mentioning the fear of being stabbed. Friends and family recounted a history of marital strife, and it was known that Gail had once initiated divorce proceedings. The crime scene itself, with a pillow placed over Gail's face, suggested to detectives a crime of passion, where the killer knew the victim and felt a sense of remorse after the act. Despite their strong suspicions, the New York Police Department never had enough evidence to bring charges against Franklin Mark, who has consistently denied any involvement in his wife's death.
For decades, the case remained cold, a haunting mystery for Gail Mark's family. Then, in 2015, a startling development breathed new life into the investigation. During a legal dispute over a family estate, Franklin Mark's own sister came forward with a sworn affidavit stating that it was 'common knowledge' within their family that Franklin was responsible for Gail's death, suggesting he may have hired a hitman. This bombshell prompted the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to officially reopen the case, hoping that advances in DNA technology could finally shed light on the evidence that had been collected more than three decades earlier.
The renewed investigation, however, faced significant challenges. Crucial pieces of evidence, including the 'E.T.' mask and a swatch of blood-stained carpet from the crime scene, had been destroyed or lost over the years. Despite the renewed focus and the explosive claims from within the Mark family, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Gail Mark. The case officially remains unsolved, leaving a lingering sense of injustice for those who continue to seek answers for her violent and untimely death.
