Mark had been married to local fifth-grade teacher Anne, 52, for 32 years. They lived in Christiansburg, Virginia, and had three grown-up children.
As the years rolled by, Mark had become increasingly controlling over his wife. Anne felt trapped in the marriage and was looking for a way out. Before her death, Anne, 52, had reconnected with a high-school sweetheart online and rekindled their romance. Chris Crowley lived in California, but they messaged constantly and Anne was planning to end things with her husband to be with him. Unfortunately, Mark knew about her plans. He’d grown suspicious and started to follow her everywhere. He didn’t want his wife to leave him.
On March 7, 2000, her online flame, Chris, called the police in a panic to say he hadn’t heard from Anne and he was worried. She’d told Chris she was going to tell Mark their marriage was over. So where was she? Not long afterwards, at around 1pm, Mark ran to a neighbour’s house shouting for help. He said he’d come home and found Anne’s lifeless body – he thought she’d choked on some food so he’d performed the Heimlich manoeuvre.
Frantic neighbours Robert and Melissa Frederick raced over and found Anne’s body on the floor. She was cold to the touch, but Mark was sitting on her chest and slapping her face in an attempt to revive her. When Robert tried to help, Mark refused to step away. Even when paramedics arrived, Mark was huddled around Anne, restricting their access. But they determined there was nothing they could do and Anne was pronounced dead.
After her death, police discovered Anne’s diary at her home, "I am in love for the first time in 33 years," it read. "I feel compelled to check my mail… I am having the time of my life." Even Mark’s children feared their dad might have played a part in their mum’s death – they’d seen his obsessive behaviour towards her. Anne had died just as she was about to break free, which seemed like a convenient coincidence. But an autopsy said Anne had choked on food probably a piece of chicken because some was found in her stomach. Her death was deemed accidental. Straight away, relations between Mark and his children grew strained. Mark wanted Anne buried while her children wanted her cremated – which had been Anne’s wish. Mark changed his mind when police brought him in for more questioning and Anne was cremated. It seemed the case was closed.
The years went by and Mark remarried. His children filed a wrongful death lawsuit against their dad, alleging that he drugged, beat and choked Anne, then stood by as she died. It was dismissed, but Mark agreed on a settlement without admitting any guilt.
Again, Mark walked free. It took 12 years before the case was reopened and a new autopsy was ordered – done through a re-examination of the paperwork, pictures and evidence.
This time, a medical examiner said Anne had been suffocated in a homicidal manner. There was significant bruising to her arms, pelvic area, head, face and chest, as well as lacerations on her face.
In 2013, Mark was charged with murder. At the trial this year at Montgomery County Courthouse, Mark, now 70, confirmed that he knew Anne was planning to leave him and that she was sleeping in the spare room. His daughters testified against him. After Anne’s death, Mark had written lists and letters. One read, "…after the toxicology report, they will have all they need. They will come to get me." Another was a letter Mark had written to God the day Anne died. It read, "...please put us back together now or you know something bad will happen very soon."
The final twist
Chris Crowley spoke about how he’d known Anne at high school but they’d gone their separate ways when he joined the military. They’d reconnected a month before her death and he told the court he’d admitted to Anne that he still loved her and the "flame had never extinguished". "Did Mrs Faville indicate that she was in love with you?" he was asked. "Yes, and that she always had been," he replied.
Both medical examiners argued their opinions on the autopsy, but after a few hours of deliberation, the jury had a verdict. Mark was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and Anne’s family sobbed with relief.
But there was a final twist. As Mark was led away, court officials were heard yelling, "Drop it, drop it." Suddenly, the courtroom was evacuated.
After a few hours, it was revealed that Mark Faville had died from a self-inflicted wound. It was never disclosed just how Mark killed himself – to protect court security and so others couldn’t follow his example. Courtroom staff aren’t allowed to carry guns, and x-ray machines screen for metal objects. All that was revealed was that he’d died from a laceration from a ‘non-metallic’ object. When justice finally caught up with Mark, he served his own sentence.
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