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Autopsy: Death of 'MasterChef' finalist Josh Marks ruled suicide


Less than three months after he was arrested for assaulting a police officer at the University of Chicago, 26-year-old 'MasterChef' finalist Josh Marks was found fatally shot Friday night of an apparent suicide, authorities said.


Police responded to a call of a body found at 6:45 p.m. Friday in the 9700 block of South Peoria Avenue in the city's Longwood Manor neighborhood and found Marks lying face up on the ground, unresponsive and bleeding from the head. Fire department personnel were already there.


The victim, of the South Side, was pronounced dead at 6:37 p.m. on the scene, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.


Marks suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a revolver was found near his body.


Police said an acquaintance and two relatives of the victim were on the scene and one of the relatives told police that the victim suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and he was distraught about something, police said.


Area South detectives processed the scene.


At the time of Marks' arrest in July, police say he claimed to have been possessed by 'MasterChef' judge Gordon Ramsay who turned him into God. During the scuffle, officials say it took multiple officers to capture Marks, after he lunged at one and attempted to take his gun.


In that July 29 th incident, university police responded to an to an emergency phone activation in the 5400 block of South Kimbark Avenue at 3:55 a.m. and found Marks with injuries to his face, according to police. When an officer asked Marks what the emergency was, Marks attacked the officer and took him to the ground, police said.


Marks, who is 7-foot-2, struck the officer in the face several times and tried to remove the officer's weapon from its holster. An assisting officer got there and used a baton and pepper spray and told him to stop fighting, but he refused, police said.


Marks tried to flee but he was taken into custody in a back yard nearby, police said. Marks was transported to Bernard Mitchell Hospital for treatment of his injuries and was later transported to Mount Sinai Hospital for additional treatment, police said.


For the July incident, Marks was charged with two counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, and attempting to disarm a police officer, all of which are felonies, records show. The case was up in court on Wednesday, when Judge Carol Howard granted a continuance to Nov. 6, records show.


Marks was runner-up to winner Christine Ha during the third season of the competitive reality series 'MasterChef.''


Zap2it reporter Chris E. Hayner contributed to this report

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