Man Found Guilty In A Phoenix Courtroom Collapses And Dies
Michael Marin had just been found guilty in a Phoenix courtroom of arson.
Shortly after the verdict was read, he was seen putting something in his mouth, then two minutes and forty seconds later, he was coughing and convulsing. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
The closing arguments had wrapped up on Wednesday, and the jury returned with a verdict on Thursday. Marin had been found guilty of arson to an occupied structure. The structure was his own home valued at $3.5 million. He claims to have been able to escape the fire with a folding ladder and some scuba gear to protect him from smoke. However, investigators weren’t buying it.
Marin owed money on the house, and they believe that it was for an insurance payout. Investigators found a number of ignition spots, as well as accelerant.
With this conviction, Marin was looking at anywhere from ten to 21 years in prison. The thoughts right now are that Marin swallowed a substance to commit suicide after he realized he would be going to prison for a long time. The medical examiner will have to determine what was swallowed.
The video below is from a local agency that was in the courtroom when this all happened. They have chosen to edit some of it, since the incident did result in the death of Marin.
