(Murphys, CA) On February 2,2013, deputies and detectives from the Calaveras County
Sheriff's Office responded to a residence on the 1200 block of Sandalwood Drive in the Forest
Meadows subdivision, Murphys, for a suspicious circumstance/welfare check. Upon arrival they
found three deceased persons, Phillip Marshall (54), Marshall's 14 year old daughter, Macaila
Marshall and his 17 year old son, Alex Marshall. The cause of death of all three people was a
single gunshot wound to the head. The Marshall family dog, a Shih Tzu breed, was also found
deceased in the master bedroom from a single gunshot wound.
The investigation revealed that between January 31, 2013 and February 2,2013 at an unknown
time Macaila and Alex were shot while sleeping on a U-shaped sectional couch in the living
room. Phillip Marshall was last seen and spoken to by a neighbor on January 31,2013. He
received a refill of
prescription medications on the same date. Alex's last documented
communication was by instant messaging (cell phone) on January 31, 2013 at 10:40 PM.
Macaila's last documented communication, via cellular phone, was on January 31,2013 at 10:10
PM. She took a cell phone self-portrait at 10:55 PM. Phillip Marshall and his children were found
deceased on February 2,2013 at approximately 3:10 PM.
During the investigation sheriff's detectives discovered the following:
• Sean Marshall initiated divorce proceedings against Phillip Marshall in 2008. She
withdrew the request in 2009. In October 2012, she reinstituted the divorce process, at
which time Phillip Marshall moved back to his house in Forest Meadows.
• The investigation revealed that the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office had several prior
contacts with Phillip and Sean Marshall. During November 2008 several court petitions
filed by Phillip Marshall to obtain full custody of children; requests denied. November
11,2008: Erin Chamberlain (Sean's sister) reports Phillip in front of her residence, and
that Phillip is mentally unstable and heavily medicated. She further reported that Phillip
had made a threat to Sean that she "will not see December", November 22, 2008: Erin
Chamberlain states that Phillip is supposed to drop something off at her residence and
that she is afraid for the safety of the children. She also reported that Sean is upset
that Philip keeps calling and driving by the residence. December 5, 2008: Phillip has
physical altercation with Erin Chamberlain and is arrested. An emergency protection
order is issued. Investigation also found that Phillip left phone
messages at Erin's residence. One message stated, "If you don't call me, mom is going to
have problems, we don't want this". Message also says "Sean, you are going to get
what's coming to you." A second message states, "Macaila, this is daddy. We are going
to have lunch. We need to talk right now. I fnot, something is going to happen".
December 7, 2008: Sean Marshall reported that Phillip violated the emergency protection
order. December 13, 2008: Erin Chamberlain reports that Phillip keeps calling their
house. December 14, 2008: Another report by Erin Chamberlain that Phillip keeps
calling. December 15, 2008: Phillip reports that Macaila has been calling his (Phillip's)
friends and family and telling them that she (Macaila) is afraid of Phillip and that he is
out of control. Phillip states that he believes Sean is manipulating Macaila to make the
calls. December 15, 2008: Report by Macaila that Phillip left threatening message on her
answering machine that she is not to call her uncle Bob. December 23, 2008: Report to
court: Current custodial visitation remains in effect; however, Macaila is not to be forced
to have visitation with Phillip. January 2, 2009: Civil standby requested by Phillip to
pick up Alex from Sean. Requested that deputy call Sean and tell her to "turn kids over
without a problem".
• On January 27,2013 Phillip Marshall purchased a distinctive type of Fiocchi brand 9
millimeter handgun ammunition from Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Sonora. Store
security video was obtained and a positive identification of Marshall was able to be made
from the video as the person who purchased the ammunition. Inside the house detectives
located and seized the same clothing that Marshall was seen wearing on the video. They
also located the Big 5 Sporting Goods store purchase receipt for the ammunition inside
Marshall's car, which showed that he paid cash for the ammo. In October 20 11Marshall
purchased the Glock 9mm handgun from a gun store in Turlock, CA. The gun was
registered to him.
• The Glock handgun was sent to the California Department of Justice crime lab for
fingerprint analysis, and is scheduled for DNA and ballistics examination (results
pending on the DNA and ballistics). The fingerprint analysis positively identified Phillip
Marshall's fingerprints on the interior plastic carton of the ammunition box and the gun
magazine. In regards to prints on the gun, DOJ lab analysts explained, "The only usable
friction ridge impressions remaining in this case were two patent impressions appearing
on [the] Glock 19 handgun. These patent impressions were visible on the slide area of the
handgun upon the initial examination. The patent impressions lack sufficient quality and
quantity of friction ridge detail for identification purposes, but are usable for elimination
purposes. Subject Phillip Randolph Marshall could not be eliminated as the source of
these two patent impressions due to similarities in ridge flow and ridge characteristics in
agreement with his left thumb and left index finger."
• During the search of Phillip Marshall's house detectives located numerous documents on
the kitchen counter. These documents included a list of financial debt he owed, dated
02/01/13 and totaled $67k, as well as child support-related documents and information. A
handwritten note was found inside of a spiral binder noting the debt amount and a
handwritten comment stating, "Debt Kill." The binder was found lying next to a laptop
computer that was identified as belonging to Phillip Marshall.
• There was no sign of forced entry into the Marshall home. All doors were found closed
with some having been left unlocked. Detectives found items of value in plain view,
including two computers inside the home, and it did not appear that the house or any of
the furniture had been ransacked. The computers, described as a desktop and a laptop,
were seized by detectives during the search of the home and sent to the law enforcement
High-Tech Task Force in Sacramento for forensic analysis. The results of the analysis are
pending.
• During the evidence processing phase of the scene, directional blood spatter coming from
Phillip Marshall, including blood cast-off from his head was found on and around his
body. Marshall was described as being right handed. Autopsy results showed that he had
a single contact gunshot entry wound to right side of his head, with a muzzle impression
on his skin. The impression left by the Glock 9mm gun barrel muzzle established that
when he shot himself he held the gun rotated in an inverted (upside down) position. The
inverted positioning of the handgun is a natural body/arm posture of someone shooting
themselves, and is consistent with him having shot himself. No disruptions or voids were
found in the high and low velocity blood spatter patterns. Marshall was found lying on
his back in the living room behind the sectional couch. The gun was located under his
right side midsection. The manner of the contact gunshot combined with the lack of voids
and blood disruptions confirmed that a fourth person was not present as the shooter. Four
expended shell casing were found at the scene; three in the living room and one in the
master bedroom. All four cases matched the unexpended cartridges in the Fiocchi
ammunition box.
Phillip Marshall suffered a "point blank" gunshot wound to the right side of his head.
Investigators determined the firearm was being held upside down as indicated by the
muzzle impression found on Phillip's head. The blood spatter and a lack of displacement
or disruption found at the scene proved to Investigators that no other persons were in
close enough proximity to have shot Phillip Marshall.
• During a search of Marshall's master bedroom closet detectives located a 50-round box
of Fiocchi ammunition on a shelf outside of the safe. The box of ammunition matched the
ammunition Phillip Marshall purchased at Big 5 Sporting Goods. They found 43 unfired
cartridges in the box. One unfired cartridge was found lying on the laundry room floor. A
total of four rounds were fired during the murder-suicide. One live round was found
loaded in the chamber of the gun. The gun magazine was empty.
• Detectives found that the safe was left open. Outside the safe, where they found the box
of Fiocchi ammunition, they also found a wedding ring resting on top of the Fiocchi box.
Inside the safe they discovered five zip lock bags containing marijuana (approx. 1 ounce
total) next to a marijuana medical recommendation card (dated 2011), various
prescription medications, and a Big 5 Sporting Goods shopping bag outside the safe. A
handwritten note was left on the marijuana medical recommendation card that read "Hi
Sean!"
• Macaila was found lying on the right side of the couch as you face it, and Alex was found
on the left side. Both were covered in blankets and it appeared that they were sleeping at
the time they were shot. There were no signs of a struggle. During the autopsy a single
contact gunshot entry wound was found on the left side of Macaila's head. This was
consistent with her body positioning on the couch at the time she was discovered. Alex
had a near contact gunshot entry wound to the right side of his head. Two expended
bullets were recovered from the couch from below each child indicating that they were
shot while lying on the couch. One bullet was recovered from a pillow below Macaila's
head, and one was recovered from a couch cushion below Alex. The couch was saturated
in blood, indicative of the couch being the primary location where they had been shot. No
secondary blood evidence was found to indicate that they had been shot in another
location of the house and moved to the couch. Witnesses stated that it was common
practice for Macaila and Alex to sleep on the couch rather than in their beds.
• Blood samples taken during the autopsies were sent to a toxicology lab for toxicology
analysis. The results showed that Macaila had a .05 % blood alcohol content and .32
mg/L of diphenhydramine (an over the counter antihistamine/sleep aid). Alex had a blood
alcohol content of .03 %.
Phillip Marshal's blood sample contained .08 mg/L
hydrocodone (pain reliever/narcotic), .02 mg/L morphine (pain reliever/narcotic), and .80
mg/L hydroxybupropion (anti-depressant). Alcoholic beverages, including a bottle of
whiskey and an open l2-pack of beer, were found inside the Marshall home.
•
According to records obtained, Marshall was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.
Additionally, the reports stated that he suffered periods of depression and mania, which
led to his dismissal, or "grounding," as a pilot in September 2006.
• A search warrant was served at a local clinic for Phillip Marshall's medical records. The
medical records noted that he suffered from chronic back pain, and was prescribed
prescription narcotic pain medications for this condition. His medical records suggested
that he also suffered from some sort of mental illness, drug dependency, anxiety, and
depression.
He was prescribed anti-depression medications for his mental health. During
mid-year 2012 through January 2013 he frequented the medical clinic seeking additional
pain medications. Clinic physicians had him sign a pain medication contract, which
directed him to takes his medications as prescribed, and to not seek medications from
other physicians. The medical record indicated that he was to schedule an appointment
with a psychiatrist. It is unknown if he ever attended this appointment.
• In order to demonstrate a length of time between the two gunshots that struck Alex and
Macaila, the detectives and firearms instructors with the Calaveras County Sheriffs
Office conducted a live gunfire test. In the test they positioned targets in the exact
positions and distance as how Alex and Macaila lay on the couch. During the multiple
tests the detectives found that it took an average of a total of two seconds to shoot each
victim, demonstrating that it was possible to shoot both children prior to one of them
waking up.
• On a Saturday, beginning at approximately 9:30 AM Detectives conducted a decibel
meter sound experiment at the Marshall house. In advance of the experiment, due to the
extremely low availability of the type of ammunition that Marshal had purchased, the
Fiocchi Ammunition Company, for the purpose of this experiment, donated a box of the
exact same type of ammunition that Marshall had purchased at Big 5 Sporting Goods (92
grain EMB-Expansion Mono-Block). The detectives were also able to locate a second
box through the Big 5 Sporting Goods corporate office. Furthermore, the detectives used
an identical Glock Model 19 nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun for the test.
Additionally, they re-constructed the scene by using a donated couch. Melons were used
to simulate a human head. A bullet trap barrel and sandbags were used to shoot into for
safety. Over a period of time the detectives fired a total of sixteen rounds from inside the
home while the decibel meter was positioned at various points outside the Marshall
home. One point of measurement included inside the home of the nearest neighbor who
shared a property line with the Marshall property. The neighbor's house sat
approximately 50 feet from the Marshall house.
Throughout the test, while inside the
neighbor's home, the detectives received an average decibel reading of 50 decibels. They
also received an average decibel reading of 50 decibels at various points of measurement
outside the Marshall home. A prior control test inside of a closed room with a running
refrigerator compressor registered 45 decibels on the decibel meter. At the conclusion of
the test the detectives interviewed residents surrounding the Marshall home to inquire
whether or not they had heard the gunshots. None of the residents spoken to said that they
had heard the shots, nor were they aware that the experiment was taking place. The
Calaveras County Sheriff s Dispatch Center did not receive any reports of "shots fired"
calls from the area of the subdivision during the testing process. The neighbor, whose
house the detectives used to obtain an interior reading, was present during the
experiment. After the firing of six rounds, the neighbor indicated that the neighbor had
heard the shots; however, due to the low volume the neighbor felt that the neighbor
would not have heard the shots if the neighbor were sleeping. The neighbor went on to
say that despite the fact that the neighbor is a "very light sleeper", the neighbor would not
have been awakened by the noise. The neighbor clarified the statement by reiterating that
the shots were not loud enough to have awakened the neighbor despite the neighbor's
close proximity to the Marshall residence.
• Based on interviews, evidence, and other factual information developed during this
investigation there appears to be several contributing factors that led to this murder suicide.
Phillip Marshall had been under the care of a doctor for several years and
appeared to be battling chronic pain, drug dependency, and mental health troubles.
The
prescription drugs that he had been prescribed seem to be very sensitive to dosages,
especially when combined with other medications, which was the case with Marshall.
• A medical doctor consulted during the investigation stated that combining
bupropion
(anti-depressant) with hydrocodone (narcotic) can have adverse reactions in regards to
mental health. Additionally, missing a dose or taking too much of one of these
prescriptions could also cause adverse reactions. Research showed that the Food and
Drug Administration warned that any abrupt changes in psychotropic medications (such
as what Marshall was prescribed) could result in suicide, hostility, or psychosis.
• There was no evidence to support a theory that anyone else could have committed this
crime, or that any other persons were present at the time of the shootings. Macaila and
Alex Marshall both appeared to be sleeping at the time they were shot, indicating no
signs of a struggle with a possible intruder. There was no evidence of a struggle with
Phillip Marshall, and no signs of forced entry into the home. Various items of value were
still present inside the home, and no evidence of any additional weapons was found.
Lastly, there was no evidence that Phillip Marshall or his children were moved or
repositioned after the shooting, which would indicate an altered crime scene. Based on
the final findings of the investigators, evidence shows that Phillip Marshall and not an
outside fourth person, shot and killed Macaila, Alex, the family dog, and then himself. To
conclude, it is determined that this case was a double murder-suicide.
http://sheriff.co.calaveras.ca.us/Portals/sheriff/Press/2013/Update_Marshall_Investigation.pdf