Friday April 19th, 2024 4:31PM

Boyfriend charged in murder of UGA professor, another man kills self during investigation

By AccessWDUN Staff

A University of Georgia professor was found dead at a home in Milledgeville on Sunday and her boyfriend has been charged in the death. 

According to published reports in the Athens Banner Herald and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Baldwin County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the home of Clark Heindel, 69, around 1 a.m. Sunday. Heindel made the 911 call, telling authorities Marianne Shockley, 42, of Madison had been found unresponsive in a hot tub outside the residence. 

Shockley, an entomology professor at UGA, and her boyfriend Marcus Lillard apparently were guests at Heindel's home.

All three people were nude when deputies arrived, according to the published reports, and the two men were performing CPR on Shockley's body. 

Shockley was bleeding from her head, according to a deputy; Lillard told authorities the head injury occurred when he fell as he removed Shockley from the hot tub.

Authorities said the men told them they did not immediately call for help because they thought Shockley began breathing when they initially started CPR. 

Once emergency personnel arrived on the scene, deputies separated Lillard and Heindel to question the two men. Lillard was taken to a patrol car, while Heindel sat on the front porch of his house. At some point during the investigation, Heindel left the front porch, went inside his house and shot himself. Heindel died from the self-inflicted wound. 

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution report, Lillard was charged with murder by strangulation, concealing a death and aggravated assault

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to take over the investigation.

 

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