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Chicago cop, Dina Markham, found dead in possible suicide two years after her sergeant husband’s death was also ruled a suicide – Just as Feds start probing husband’s death

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div><header id&equals;"ra-headers">&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>47-year-old Chicago police officer&comma; Dina Markham&comma; was found dead Sunday in a possible suicide<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>A family member found the 22-year veteran officer unresponsive in the bathtub after ingesting pills<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>Her husband&comma; police sergeant Donald Markham&comma; 51&comma; reportedly shot himself in Sept 2015<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>Officer Dina Markham said her husband had locked her out of their home after they had been drinking and argued after leaving a bar<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>The mother-of-five said she was let in by another family member<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>Searching for her keys in &&num;8220&semi;The master bedroom &lbrack;that&rsqb; was illuminated with ambient lighting&comma; &lbrack;she&rsqb; observed Donald on the bed&comma; on his side&comma; back towards her&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>She felt the outside of his pockets she said&comma; looking for her keys&comma; felt moisture on her hands&comma; realized it was blood and called 911 <&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>&&num;8220&semi;Upon further observations of Donald&comma; it appeared that he had shot himself in the head&comma;&&num;8221&semi; her statement read<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>The suicide weapon was not Donald&&num;8217&semi;s service weapon&comma; but belonged to him and &&num;8220&semi;there was no suspicion of foul play&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>FBI and the city&&num;8217&semi;s inspector recently started probing the investigation of the Donald Markham suicide <&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2e0303&semi;"><strong>Days before her death&comma; Dina Markham told Chicago Sun-Times she was unaware of the fresh investigation<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;header>&NewLine;<div id&equals;"ra-body-wrap">&NewLine;<div class&equals;"ra-module top h">&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"ra-figure"><figcaption>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"ra-caption"><img class&equals;"alignnone wp-image-194087" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;06&sol;dina-markham-2&period;jpg" alt&equals;" Dina Markham 2&period;jpg" width&equals;"603" height&equals;"858" &sol;>Chicago Police Officer Dina Markham was found dead on Sunday of an apparent suicide<&sol;h6>&NewLine;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<article id&equals;"ra-body">A 47-year-old Chicago police officer was found dead Sunday in a possible suicide&comma; two years after her sergeant husband appeared to take his own life under mysterious circumstances&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Cops say Dina Markham was found by a family member in her bathtub on Sunday after taking pills&comma; <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;chicagotribune&period;com&sol;news&sol;local&sol;breaking&sol;ct-chicago-cop-death-investigated-met-20170531-story&period;html" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener noreferrer">the Chicago Tribune reported<&sol;a>&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Her death is being investigated as a suicide&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;It is believed that 51-year-old Chicago police sergeant&comma; Donald Markham&comma; killed himself in September of 2015 following an argument with his wife&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Sgt&period; Markham&&num;8217&semi;s death was ruled a suicide&period; However&comma; an officer questioned how evidence was gathered&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;At the time Dina Markham said her husband had locked her out of their home after they had been drinking and argued after leaving a bar at about 1 a&period;m&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;In her statement Dina said she discovered her husband dead in their bed after one of her children let her in the house&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone wp-image-194056" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;06&sol;dina-markham-with-her-husband-officer-don-markha3&period;jpg" alt&equals;" Dina Markham with her husband&comma; Officer Don Markha3&period;jpg" width&equals;"745" height&equals;"638" &sol;>Dina Markham and Don Markham&period;  The couple both in law enforcement&comma; allegedly killed themselves&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>According to a police report <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;chicago&period;suntimes&period;com&sol;news&sol;chicago-police-department-couples-mysterious-deaths-under-investigation-the-watchdogs&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener noreferrer">obtained by the Sun-Times<&sol;a>&comma; she went to look for her keys in &&num;8220&semi;The master bedroom &lbrack;that&rsqb; was illuminated with ambient lighting and she observed Donald laying on the bed&comma; on his side with his back towards her&comma;&&num;8221&semi; the report read&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Dina continued looking for her key unsuccessfully&period; Dina felt the outside of Donald’s pockets&comma; again looking for her keys and felt moisture on her hands&period; Dina realized the moisture was blood and called 911 for assistance&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Upon further observations of Donald&comma; it appeared that he had shot himself in the head&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;A detective said the gun used by Donald Markham was not his service weapon&comma; but it belonged to him&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;There was no history of suicidal ideations or suicide attempts and no suicide note was found on scene&comma;&&num;8221&semi; the report states&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;In addition&comma; the detective wrote &&num;8220&semi;there was no suspicion of foul play&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The Sun-Times reports that  police removed the body of the 51-year-old narcotics cop from the home in the upscale Old Norwood Park neighborhood on the city’s Far Northwest Side&comma; of Chicago&comma; before a Cook County medical examiner’s investigator could view the scene&comma; which is standard procedure&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Records show that even though Donald Markham was pronounced dead at 3&colon;34 a&period;m&period;&comma; the medical examiner&&num;8217&semi;s office was not contacted until nearly 5&colon;30 a&period;m&period;&comma; at which point the body was already being removed from the home&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Records also showed Dina Markham calling 911 at 3&colon;12 a&period;m&period; and tolling the operator that an off-duty police officer was &&num;8220&semi;bleeding from his head&&num;8221&semi; and needed an ambulance&comma; but refusing to answer questions as to what happened or whether he was breathing&comma; then hanging up&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"ra-module h">&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"ra-figure"><figcaption>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"ra-caption"><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-194023" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;06&sol;dina-markham-with-her-husband-officer-don-markham2&period;jpg" alt&equals;" Dina Markham with her husband&comma; Officer Don Markham2&period;jpg" width&equals;"1200" height&equals;"900" &sol;>Dina and husband&comma; sergeant Don Markham&comma; of Chicago PD&comma; before the spate of suicides claimed husband and wife&comma; 2 years apart&period;<&sol;h6>&NewLine;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>The FBI and the city&&num;8217&semi;s Inspector General &comma;months ago&comma;  opened a new ongoing investigation into how Donald Markham&&num;8217&semi;s death was handled&comma; according to the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;chicago&period;suntimes&period;com&sol;news&sol;chicago-police-department-couples-mysterious-deaths-under-investigation-the-watchdogs&sol;">Chicago Sun-Times<&sol;a>&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Just days before her death&comma; Dina Markham wrote the Sun-Times denying awareness of the new probe&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;I’d like to talk to you&comma; but I’m not sure it’s in my best interest&comma;&&num;8221&semi; she told the newspaper on May 22&period; &&num;8220&semi;Give me a day to process this&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Two days later she told the newspaper&colon; &&num;8220&semi;I have to protect myself&period; I have to protect my children&period; That’s what this is all about&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;And then the following day&comma; she emailed the Sun-Times&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;In respect for the way you approached me&comma; a friend of a friend will be in contact with you&comma;&&num;8221&semi; she wrote&period; &&num;8220&semi;I am unsure who that will be at this time&comma; but he assured me he will follow through&period; My family and I have been through very difficult times&comma; and it has been awful especially for my children&period; Should you proceed in writing a news story&comma; I would appreciate a &&num;8216&semi;heads-up&&num;8217&semi; to prepare them&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-194089" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;06&sol;dina-is-pictured-above-with-some-of-her-children&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Dina is pictured above with some of her children&period;jpg" width&equals;"634" height&equals;"664" &sol;><br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong>Dina Markham with some of her children&period; They couple shared five kids<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>A family lawyer wrote in a statement to the Sun-Times on Wednesday that &&num;8220&semi;our primary focus at this time is on Don and Dina&&num;8217&semi;s five children&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;While this article includes some information that may be accurate&comma; there are many things presented that are inaccurate or incomplete&comma;&&num;8221&semi; read the statement&period; &&num;8220&semi;Further&comma; the family strongly refutes any suggestion&comma; implication or allegation that Dina was responsible for Don’s death&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;With respect to any investigation that may have been pending&comma; Dina had not been in contact with anyone conducting such investigation and only had heard rumors and third-hand accounts&comma;&&num;8221&semi; the statement continued&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;We were trying to get information on this at the time of Dina’s death&period; Dina was prepared to address any question with the strength and resolve she is known for&period; As reflected in the email she sent to you&comma; her sole focus was as it always has been — on the well being of her kids&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone wp-image-194084" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;06&sol;former-police-lt-denis-p-walsh&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Former police Lt&period; Denis P&period; Walsh&period;jpg" width&equals;"649" height&equals;"498" &sol;>Former Chicago police Lt&period; Denis P&period; Walsh handled the investigation into the death of Sgt&period; Don Markham<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>One of the highest-ranking department members to respond to the scene on the morning of Donald Markham&&num;8217&semi;s death was then-Lt&period; Denis Walsh of Area North&comma; the police records show&period; Notably&comma; Walsh resigned last year as the department sought to fire him for his role in the investigation into David Koschman&comma; a suburban man who died after being punched by a nephew of then-Mayor Richard M&period; Daley&&num;8217&semi;s in 2004&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He was accused in a special prosecutor&&num;8217&semi;s report of removing the original file on the Koschman case from his office &&num;8220&semi;with no legitimate work purpose&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Walsh notified the department&&num;8217&semi;s Internal Affairs Division about the death&comma; which would be routine in the case of an officer&&num;8217&semi;s apparent suicide&comma; at 4&colon;55 a&period;m&period; that day&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;article>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;

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