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MURDERED: Marcus Rutledge

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MURDERED: Marcus Rutledge

A young father moves to Nashville chasing his college dreams, but in June 1998, 23-year-old Marcus Rutledge vanishes after taking his daughter to daycare. His disappearance reveals a life filled with secrets…and even after the discovery of his skull, his family is left wondering if they’ll ever know what really happened.

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Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus-Rutledge-06-(ENHANCED)

Photo courtesy of NamUs; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge.

Photo courtesy of NamUs; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Marcus’s duplex apartment on Park Dale Dr.

Marcus’s duplex apartment on Park Dale Dr.

Photo courtesy of Davidson County Assessor of Property.

Marcus and his sister, Felicia.

Marcus and his sister, Felicia.

Photo courtesy of David Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge.

Marcus Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Marcus in his college freshman yearbook photo.

Marcus in his college freshman yearbook photo. Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University 1994 yearbook; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University 1994 yearbook.

Marcus in his college junior yearbook photo.

Marcus in his college junior yearbook photo. Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University 1996 yearbook; enhanced by audiochuck staff.

Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University 1996 yearbook.

Marcus’s car, a 1995 Plymouth Neon.

Marcus’s car, a 1995 Plymouth Neon.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Marcus’s car was found abandoned in the Riverwood Apartments complex.

Marcus’s car was found abandoned in the Riverwood Apartments complex.

Photo taken from Google Street view, circa 2011.

The woods where Marcus’s skull was found in 2010.

The woods where Marcus’s skull was found in 2010.

Photo taken from Google Maps.

A map showing the distances between Marcus’s apartment, the location where his car was found, and the location where his skull was found.

A map showing the distances between Marcus’s apartment, the location where his car was found, and the location where his skull was found.

Photo taken from Google Google Maps.

Athan Gibbs Jr.

Athan Gibbs Jr.

Photo courtesy of his obituary.

Charles D. Brown, Jr.

Charles D. Brown, Jr.

Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Correction.

James Cowan.

James Cowan.

Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole.

Nashville Detective Matt Filter.

Nashville Detective Matt Filter.

Photo courtesy of Matt Filter.

Timeline

June 8, 1998
June 8, 1998
10am

Marcus takes his daughter to daycare.

1-1:30pm

Marcus and his girlfriend, Tawania, talk on the phone.

June 9, 1998
June 9, 1998

Charles experiences a home invasion and is shot 5 times. He also shoots someone.

June 30, 1998
June 30, 1998

A maintenance man reports that Marcus’s missing car has been sitting at Riverwood Apartments for several weeks.

February 18, 1999
February 18, 1999

Charles spends several nights at Athan’s home while Athan’s brother and roommate, Jonathan, avoids them.

February 23, 1999
February 23, 1999

Jonathan returns to his and Athan’s home and finds Athan shot to death.

March 1999
March 1999

Charles is charged with Athan’s homicide and turns himself in. The charges are eventually dropped.

December 8, 2010
December 8, 2010

A hunter finds a skull in some woods near Ashland City Highway and Pecan Valley Road.

2015
2015

Gerri, Marcus’s mother, passes away without ever knowing what happened to her son.

November 2024
November 2024

DNA from the unidentified skull is uploaded to CODIS.

January 2025
January 2025

The skull is identified as Marcus’s.

Where Marcus lived.

Contact Authorities with Info

If you have any information, please contact the Metro Nashvhille PD’s Crime Stoppers Division at 615-74-CRIME (6145-742-7463).

We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.

If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:

[email protected]

Episode Source Material

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