He was missing for two weeks. Yesterday morning, a hiker found his body near Verberie. Father Albert Marshall committed suicide, as suggested by his last letter.
It was the likely inference; now it has been confirmed. The body recovered hanging from a tree yesterday morning in the forest of Compeigne is truly that of Fr. Albert Marshall, who had been missing since July 29. An autopsy will be performed on the corpse, however, which has been severely decomposed due to the weather. "A walker, out for a morning stroll on the edge of the forest, made the macabre discovery," declared a source close to the investigation. "He informed us immediately. A mountain bike of the same brand as that owned by the Indian priest was found close to the tree where the man was hanging."
To confirm the on-site investigation conducted by police, DNA samples will be taken from the body and compared with objects that belonged to the priest.
Autopsy today
The autopsy will be performed today at the Hospital of Compeigne. The family of the priest will be informed of his death as soon as the results of the autopsy are known.
A letter had been recovered in the room of the priest following his disappearance. It stated clearly his intention "to commit suicide" and expressed as well the desire that his "body, when found, be cremated and that the ashes be brought back to his home country, India." The criminal investigation has now been definitively abandoned, but investigators might still attempt to verify information that the priest had a relationship with a woman in India.
Fr. Albert Marshall had been working for the association Heart's Home International, a nongovernmental organization whose purpose is to help the poor. The international headquarters of this organization is located in Vieux-Moulin. It was there that the Indian priest lived, and it is from there that he departed by mountain bike two weeks ago, in seeming accord with his settled habit of bicycling through the forest. In the village he was little known, a fact testified to by the mayor, Patrick Lesne: "He was always very polite, very proper. He always said hello when our paths crossed, whether on bike or on foot. But he was very discreet, no one knew much about him."
Article in the original French can be found here.
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| Photo: DR; Fr. Albert Marshall |
The official word from Points-Couer (Heart's Home): http://www.terredecompassion.com/2011/08/12/deces-du-pere-albert/
ReplyDeleteThis gets sadder the more I learn. Fr. Albert Marshall, 38, trained as an engineer, entered the priesthood in 2006 after attending a Points-Couer (Hearts Home) conference. Fr. Marshall was ordained to the diocese of Chingleput in January of this year, and arrived in Vieux-Moulin, France in March to study French and to be chaplain of the Points-Couer headquarters.
More info here: http://www.la-croix.com/Religion/S-informer/Actualite/Le-corps-du-pretre-indien-disparu-dans-l-Oise-aurait-ete-retrouve-_NG_-2011-08-12-698769
It's impossible to understand such a tragedy. All prayers for him and R.I.P.
It's impossible. request to french police. please clear investigation.
ReplyDeleteManuel: If you are referring to the speculation about Fr. Marshall having had a relationship with a woman in India, I found its inclusion in this report odd myself and quite gratuitous. I don't know why French police would have any business investigating that.
ReplyDeleteBear in mind that Fr. Marshall was 38, that he worked originally as an engineer, that he did not enter seminary until the age of 33 and was only ordained in January of this year. It's not exactly scandalous that at some point in his life he might have dated. Really, you'd expect that from a man in his twenties and early thirties.
If you are referring to his suicide, sadly, the note he himself wrote is pretty conclusive to me :(