Cold Case: Springfield 'Marion Murders' Go Unsolved

Marion Newman and Marion Marshall had a lot in common, especially in the way they were murdered.

It's been almost six years since they were beaten to death in their homes—two single Springfield women in their 70s who didn't know each other, but had the same first name, no children, looked alike and lived in nearly identical red brick ramblers within three miles of each other. The victims were killed three months apart, and in both cases, there was no sign of a break-in.

Fairfax County Police have released no information on a suspect and have little to go on.

"The investigations into the murders of Marion Marshall and Marion Newman are open and continue to be investigated," said police spokesperson Shelley Broderick in an email to Patch. "Currently, detectives believe these two homicides were committed by the same suspect. This is a result of similarities in the two cases and evidence obtained in both investigations."

County police were mum on clues at the crime scenes, and the importance of a key piece of evidence has come into question. Shortly after Newman's murder, the held a press conference and reported that Newman's custom-made diamond ring was missing and that the suspect may have ties to the Crestwood and Edsall Park communities. 

"The ring has not been located," Broderick said. "However, we are not certain the ring was taken by the suspect. The ring has just not been found yet."   

The County is offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest of a suspect in each murder. There are currently 82 Fairfax County cold cases going back to 1961, and most have the same reward. 

Monday, Aug. 14, 2006

Marion Marshall, 72, was last seen alive at around 11:15 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2006, at the store at the Bradlick Shopping Center in Annandale, according to a surveillance video obtained by police. Her body was discovered by neighbors at her home in the 6600 block of Bostwick Drive. Investigators determined that she was killed by trauma to the upper body and that there was no forced entry. 

Neighbor Harold Johnson found Marshall's body. "Marion had an appointment with a friend of hers that morning in D.C. and she didn't show up," he said. "The friend showed up here in a taxicab that late afternoon and she knocked on my door. Marion's car was out there, and her friend was nervous about going over by herself, so a neighbor and I walked over with her. She had a key, so we walked in and there she was lying on the living room floor."

Marshall was on her back, Johnson said. "She had facial bruising and bruising on her arms," he said. "She had a heart condition, so at first I thought she'd had a heart attack and got bruised when she fell… Some of her groceries were still on the kitchen table when we walked in the house. It was like she got home and put the groceries down and there was a knock at the door. It was like he was waiting for her."  

Johnson now carries a concealed firearm. "It really affected everybody, but especially my mother, who was a friend of hers. I'd gone out that day about the time it happened and my mother was home alone. It could have been her," he said. "I really want to see the cops catch this guy, but I feel like the only way it's going to happen is if he commits another crime and they match his DNA."

The murder shocked neighbor Barbara Hughes. "Everybody's scared now," she said. "My husband gets mad at me if I leave the front door unlocked."

Jose Bracdos and his family moved into the Marshall home in 2008 after it sold for $368,500. "It's safe, it's quiet," he said. "Last year, my truck was broken into and all my tools were stolen, but that's all that's happened." 

Rose Henderson, 21, lives with her family next door to Marshall's house. "We were terrified and we stayed in the house. I was definitely not allowed out at night for a while," she said. "It used to be a nice neighborhood."

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006 

Marion Newman, 74, was last seen alive in the early evening on Nov. 20, 2006, visiting her 92-year-old mother at the in Springfield. She was found the following afternoon in the bedroom of her home in the 7100 block of Reservoir Road by one of her mother's friends. There was no forced entry and the cause of death was determined to be trauma to the upper body. 

Newman, who volunteered at her church and at local animal shelters, had a strict routine, according to friend and next-door neighbor Reba Fogle. "She called her mother every morning, visited and ate dinner with her from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and then returned home," she said. "That morning, I got a call from Marion's mother. She called me at about 1:00 in the afternoon and she said, 'Have you seen Sweety?' - that was her nickname for her. I said no, and I told her that her (Newman's) car was in the driveway. And she said, 'Well, tell her to call me because I'm worried about her.'"

Newman's mother asked a male neighbor at Greenspring to check on her daughter. "When he got there, the door was cracked open and the keys were in it, on the inside," Fogle said. "She was beaten and choked. The police asked me a bunch of questions because they didn't know anything. They had me go over to see if anything was stolen... I knew she was choked because they asked if she'd had throat surgery recently and I said no." 

Newman's mother died of natural causes a few months after the murder. 

Newman was married a number of times. "Marion's missing ring, the one that was stolen, was made from her engagement rings and it had three diamonds from three of her husbands," said Fogle, adding that she spoke with Newman daily over the course of 30 years. "We had a lot of fun. We also went through a lot of hard times too—everyday things." 

The Newman house sold for $386,000 in 2007. "A real nice family lives there now," said Fogle, who remains unnerved. "Before she passed away, you could go to bed with the door open... I don't trust people after dark, so I don't go out to the car at night."  

Not Knowing What to Look For

The murders resulted in an increased neighborhood watch campaign across Springfield. "But there was a feeling of helplessness," said Tawny Hammond, then-president of the Springfield Civic Association, of which Newman was a member. "We couldn't even help the police because we didn't know what to look for. There was no description of a car or the time of day the incident occurred or what the suspect looked like… I respect the professional protocols of the police, but we need more information from them on this case. The more time goes by, the colder it gets."

Bruce Waggoner is the current Springfield Civic Association president. "This is a terrible tragedy and we don't want to forget these ladies," he said. "We're keeping them in our hearts and minds and are praying that the police solve this case."

Anyone with information on the murders of Marion Newman or Marion Marshall is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or the police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.