In a tragic turn of events that concluded a history of domestic turmoil, 69-year-old John Mark Chiles died on February 3, 2015, in what authorities investigated as a murder-suicide in Macomb Township, Michigan. The male victim's death was the final act in a sequence that also claimed the life of his long-time girlfriend, 78-year-old Hattie Marty. The series of events unfolded late on a Tuesday night when Macomb County Sheriff's deputies received a distressing 911 call from Chiles himself, in
which he threatened to take his own life.
Responding to the call at a residence in the 48000 block of Meadowcrest Drive, near Hayes and 22 Mile roads, deputies were able to see Chiles inside the home. Forcing their way in, they discovered him with a gunshot wound to the face. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a wound to his chin but ultimately succumbed to his injuries and died. A further search of the home led to the discovery of Hattie Marty's body in the basement.
Evidence found at the scene led investigators to believe that Chiles had killed Marty before turning the gun on himself. The home where the incident occurred belonged to Marty. This violent conclusion was foreshadowed by previous domestic disturbances involving the couple. Law enforcement had been called to the same residence on two prior occasions, in 2007 and 2011, for domestic violence incidents, both of which resulted in arrests. The investigation into the deaths brought to light the couple's troubled history.
