Stephens was found guilty in connection with the April 23, 2020, shooting of his 45-year-old son, Marshall Stephens Jr. in the Green Valley neighborhood of Arlington. The victim was found alone in his vehicle, with a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. The investigation determined this incident to be a domestic-related homicide. Marshall Stephens Sr., 65, of Parkville, MD, was arrested and charged with Murder and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
Successful prosecution was possible because of a careful investigation on the part of the Arlington County Police Department and collaboration between ACPD and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
“While there is nothing we can do to bring back Marshall Stephens Jr., we are grateful for the jury’s verdict and attention to this case,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. “We hope this helps bring some level of closure to the surviving victims as they continue their difficult healing process.”
First degree murder carries a statutory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison; use of a firearm in the commission of a felony carries a statutory minimum sentence of 3 years.
Dehghani-Tafti added on social media:
“ACPD completed a thorough, meticulous and professional investigation, and defense counsel provided the accused with zealous and excellent representation.
“While our office has obtained convictions in every homicide case we’ve prosecuted so far, we never reduce these cases to wins/losses. A human being was here, and was loved, and now is gone. Our role is not to celebrate but to do justice.
“Few of us will ever fully understand what the victim’s loved ones have gone through; none of us can truly know what it will take for them to recover; and I, for one, will not pretend that a verdict in a criminal trial will bring them true resolution.
“But, at the very least, I hope that our team helped make them feel less alone through all the days they had to live with the uncertainties and difficulties of this process.
“We owe an immense debt to the jurors in that case. It is an indescribably hard thing to stand in judgment of your neighbors - made harder still when the judgment is for something as grave as killing another person.
“The jurors took on a tough case, listened to challenging evidence, and in the end shouldered the immense responsibility of pronouncing judgment. Our team at the CA office thank them for their service. All of us, as a community, owe them our gratitude for their service.”