Vince Marinello

Vince Marinello is a well-known and longtime sportscaster formerly featured on WWL AM/FM radio and, prior to that, on WDSU television in New Orleans, Louisiana. [http://www.radioandrecords.com/radiomonitor/news/format/talk/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003087394] He was most recently known as a leading media personality covering aspects of the recovery of the city from the devastation following Hurricane Katrina. [http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/9803508/detail.html]

Mary Elizabeth Marinello Murder Case

On August 31, 2006, Marinello's estranged wife, Mary Elizabeth, was shot twice in the face in the parking lot of an office tower in Metairie, Louisiana. Jefferson Parish Sheriff's authorities initially announced their belief that the murder was a result of a botched robbery. [http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1157613279102510.xml?NZNPMT&coll=1]

Marinello voluntarily met with sheriff's investigators and initially denied any connection to the murder of his estranged wife, saying he was in Jackson, Mississippi. On September 7, he voluntarily turned himself in to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department's main office in Gretna, Louisiana. He was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the killing of his wife, who filed for a contentious divorce after she discovered he was not legally divorced when they wed. On the night of September 11, 2006, Marinello posted a $250,000 bond and was released from jail. [http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_09_11.html#182236]

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee said detectives believe that Marinello himself committed the crime by staking out the Metairie office tower where Mary Elizabeth regularly saw a counselor, allegedly donning a false beard and mustache and shooting her twice in the face with a .38 caliber pistol. Shortly after the shooting occurred, Marinello drove to Jackson, Mississippi, to watch a pre-season game of the New Orleans Saints on television with friends. Police believe the trip was designed to give Marinello an alibi.

Surveillance video around the scene of the crime recorded a figure matching the description of a suspicious person seen leaving the scene on a bicycle. The surveillance video showed someone standing beside the victim's vehicle after waiting in the parking lot for approximately 25 minutes. The suspicious person was described as a scruffy-looking white male with a beard and a dark complexion and was reportedly seen loading a bicycle into a white car matching the description of Marinello's vehicle. Sheriff Lee, who described Marinello as his friend, apologized to the public for previously releasing misleading information while the investigation continued. [http://www.wwl.com/Article.asp?id=269507&spid=]

According to Lee, the key piece of evidence leading to charges was a sheet of paper found in Marinello's FEMA trailer during the execution of a search warrant several days after the crime. The note, which Lee characterized as a checklist, allegedly contained written notes about a gun and its disposal, a bike and a disguise. Lee said that calls his office received from the public had indicated that Marinello recently purchased a disguise and had purchased bullets for a .38 caliber gun. Lee said the teflon-tipped bullets purchased by Marinello were unusual and were of the same kind as those found in Ms. Marinello’s body.

Marinello’s alibi that he was in Jackson, Mississippi at 6:30 p.m., watching the football game with friends, was undermined when the acquaintances said he actually did not show up until after kickoff at 7:30, allowing for the possibility that Marinello was in Old Metairie at the time of his wife's murder, around 4:00 p.m. [http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl090706khmarinello.785e7a08.html] Lee suggested that charges may also be filed against the wife of the couple Marinello was with in Jackson regarding her involvement with the crime and an alleged connection to the murder weapon.

External links

* [http://www.wdsu.com/news/9772763/detail.html WDSU.com - News - Lee: Husband Talks, Suspect Sought In Old Metairie Slaying]
* [http://www.wwl.com/Article.asp?id=269507&spid= Audio of press conference with Sheriff Harry Lee]
* [http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1157613279102510.xml?NZNPMT&coll=1 The Times-Picayune - Evidence sought in Marinello's home]
* [http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_09_11.html#182236 The Times-Picayune - Marinello makes bond]