Marcus Marshall

Marcus Marshall was a 19-year-old African-American man from Chicago whose life was tragically cut short in the early hours of September 1, 2010. Friends and community members were left to grieve the loss of a young man who had much of his life ahead of him.

Just after midnight, around 12:40 a.m., Marcus was inside a liquor store in the 5700 block of South State Street. He was accompanied by two other people, 21-year-old Shawntell Harris and another individual. A man entered the store, left, and then entered a second time. On this second entry, he opened fire on the group. Both Marcus and Shawntell Harris were fatally shot. The third person with them managed to escape the attack without injury.

The entire incident was recorded by multiple surveillance cameras inside the store. This video evidence proved crucial to the ensuing investigation, allowing police to quickly identify the shooter as Samuel Gayden. Following his identification, Gayden was arrested and charged with the murders.

During his trial, prosecutors presented the clear surveillance footage along with witness testimony, which formed the core of the case against Gayden. The proceedings also brought a chilling detail to light: while in custody awaiting trial, Gayden had attempted to arrange for the murder of a witness who was set to testify against him.

Samuel Gayden was convicted for his role in the murders and for attempting to obstruct justice. He was sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 20 years for the plot to eliminate a witness. The case is considered solved and is closed as of his conviction.