Michele Marie Somers
Michele Marie MacNeill, née Somers, (born 1957) is an American murder victim. Martin MacNeill was convicted of the murder of Michele in a widely publicized case involving eight children, 30 years of marriage, marital infidelity, sexual abuse, obstruction of justice, and outward religious devotion.[1]
Personal life[edit]
Michele Marie Somers was the daughter of Milton and Helen Somers and born in 1957.[2][3] Michele grew up in Concord, California, where she played violin, acted, and was a cheerleader and homecoming queen.[4][5] Michele was a straight-A student and an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4] Michele was a model and was Miss Concord in 1976.[4] Michele was an exchange student in Switzerland.[4]
Michele met Martin MacNeill at a young-adult activity of the LDS Church.[4] Michele eloped with Martin and the couple was married on February 21, 1978.[1] Four months after the marriage, Martin served a six-month jail sentence for forgery, theft and fraud.[4]
In 2007, the MacNeill family lived in a gated community in Pleasant Grove, Utah.[5] Michele was the mother of eight children, Rachel, Vanessa, Alexis, Damian, Giselle, Elle, Sabrina, and Ada, four of whom were supposedly adopted from Ukraine.[1][2][5] However, although Ada MacNeill was adopted by Michele and Martin, Ada is actually the daughter of Vanessa MacNeill, and Michele and Martin's biological granddaughter.[5]
Troubled Marriage[edit]
Martin MacNeill threatened Michele MacNeill that he would commit suicide many times according to their daughter Rachel.[6] In 1994, Martin was accused of having sexual relations with a patient at the BYU Health Center and threatened suicide.[6] According to police reports, Martin MacNeill threatened to kill himself and Michele with a butcher knife in August 2000 after Michele caught him looking at pornography.[1][6] Martin threatened suicide again in 2005 when again Michele caught Martin looking at pornography.[6] In February 2007, Michele confronted Martin repeatedly about her suspicions that Martin was having an affair.[1] In reality, Martin had at least two affairs in the 2005-2007 time frame—one with Anna Osborne Walthall and another with Gypsy Willis.[1]
Murder[edit]
On April 3, 2007, Michele MacNeill received plastic surgery at the urging of her husband, Martin MacNeill.[1] Michele reportedly agreed to the facelift because she thought it would help her marriage.[5]
At Michele's last consultation before surgery, Martin, who was a physician at the time, reportedly gave the plastic surgeon a list of drugs he wanted prescribed to Michele.[5] The surgeon prescribed Lortab, Ambien, Valium, Percocet, Phenergan and Keflex.[5] The medication was stronger than what the surgeon would normally prescribe.[1][5] The next day, on April 4, 2007, Alexis MacNeill, the daughter of Michele and Martin, tried to wake her mother but Michele was unresponsive.[1] Martin explained to Alexis that he "probably over-medicated" Michele.[1] Alexis then began taking care of Michele.[1]
On April 6, 2007, Michele told Alexis that "if anything happens to me, make sure it was not your dad."[1] Alexis returned to medical school in Las Vegas on April 10, 2007.[1][5]
On April 11, 2007, at the age of 50, Michele died in the bathtub of her home in Pleasant Grove.[1][5] Martin ordered his son, Damian MacNeill, or Damian's girlfriend, to get rid of all of Michele's medication, ostensibly to keep the plastic surgery a private matter.[1][5] Police and autopsy reports conclude that Michele's death was accidental and of natural causes.[1] Four drugs were found in Michele's system at the time of death: Valium, Percocet, Phenergan, and Ambien.[5]
Michele's memorial service was held on April 14, 2007[1] at the church located adjacent to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.[2] Martin spoke at the service and rather than focus on Michele focused on how life had been unfair to him.[1][4]
In September 2007, Linda Cluff, Michele's sister, wrote a letter to the then governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman, and the Utah County Attorney's Office asking them to investigate Michele's death.[1]
In January 2010, Michele's only son, Damian, committed suicide by overdose.[1] In October 2010, authorities changed Michele's cause of death on her autopsy report to "drug toxicity" and noted that Michele would not have been able to administer the medication to herself.[1] In December 2010, the Deseret News published a report "detailing why some [people] believe that [Martin] MacNeill may have killed his wife, Michele."[4]
On August 24, 2012, the Utah County Attorney's Office charged Martin with murdering Michele.[1] Martin's trial began on October 17, 2013, and concluded on November 9, 2013 with the jury finding him guilty of murdering Michele and obstructing justice for attempting to make Michele's death appear accidental.[1][7]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Brian West (November 9, 2013). "Martin MacNeill Timeline". Deseret News. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Michele Marie MacNeill - Obituary". Deseret News. April 13, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ↑ Jean Casarez (October 16, 2013). "MacNeill murder trial: Did Utah doctor kill his wife?". CNN. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "Martin MacNeill: Was his wife Michele's death accidental or was it murder?". Deseret News. December 4, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 "Martin MacNeill case: Background on the key players". HLN. October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Martin MacNeill cuts self with razor in apparent suicide attempt". Deseret News. December 6, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Former Utah doctor convicted of wife's murder". Deseret News. November 11, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
Further reading[edit]
- Jennifer Dobner (November 13, 2013). "Mother's words became MacNeill daughter's quest for justice". Deseret News.
- Marissa Lang (November 18, 2013). "MacNeill back in court on sex assault charge". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- "Martin MacNeill trial: Timeline". HLN.
- "Martin MacNeill Trial News Stories". ABC News.
- Alexandra Thomas (October 29, 2013). "Martin MacNeill case: Background on the key players". HLN.
- Brian West (November 13, 2013). "Martin MacNeill Timeline". Deseret News.
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