FORT MYERS, Fla. -- An arrest warrant for a man accused of dismembering his own father revealed his mental state before his father's disappearance.
Cape Coral Police formally charged 33-year-old Matthew Marshall with 2nd Degree Murder, Abuse of a Human Body, and Tampering with Physical Evidence, after what they described as a "long, technically complex" investigation. His father, Rick Marshall, was found carefully dismembered in the woods near his Island Cove condo.
Interviews for the investigation pointed to Matthew's deeply disturbed mental state at the time of his father's disappearance. Fox 4 obtained Marshall's arrest warrant, which revealed that co-workers, family and friends were all concerned for Rick's well-being when Matthew went to live with him in Cape Coral last November. Many said Rick talked about his fear of his son.
In the document, one of Rick's close friends told detectives Matthew had threatened to slit the throats of his father, mother, brother, and brother's girlfriend on multiple occasions. The friend also said that in December, Matthew had to be Baker Acted after he checked Rick's ears for "listening devices," put him in a choke-hold, and threatened to kill him if he did not drive him to Washington, D.C., to kill former president George Bush. One of Rick's co-workers told detectives Matthew became even more volatile after he was released.
According to him, Matthew told Rick that he hated him and was going to kill him. A month later, Rick sent a family friend a photo of a chair wedged against his bedroom door for protection, fearing Matthew would slit his throat while he slept. Investigators spoke with Matthew's mother and brother, who expressed grave concern for Rick because Matthew had long suffered from mental illness.
In January, Matthew texted his mother, saying he would have someone torture and kill her. Fearing for her life, she began sleeping with a gun under her pillow. When investigators asked Matthew about the threats, texts and outbursts, he denied having any problems at home. Investigators said Matthew became agitated at their questions, claiming they were trying to frame him.
Even though he feared for his life every night, Rick Marshall never wanted to kick his son out of the condo they were both living. One of his co-workers said Rick told her he felt like a prisoner in his own home. The co-worker pleaded with him to put Matthew in a mental health institution. However, Rick refused, saying he could not do that to his son.
