The New York Times has obtained an internal Army memo that indicates military officials knew Spec. Robert H. Marko was mentally ill before the Fort Carson soldier allegedly raped and murdered a 19-year-old developmentally disabled Colorado Springs woman.
The paper reported that since Marko’s arrest, two other people — a fellow female soldier and a 14-year-old girl who escaped a psychiatric hospital — have come forward to accuse Marko of sexually assaulting them, according to the analysis done after his arrest.
Marko told investigators he took Judilianna Lawrence to the mountains overlooking Colorado Springs, blindfolded her, raped her, cut her throat and left her to die. He later led authorities to her body near Old Stage Road, west of Colorado Springs.
The Army evaluation states that Marko told others he believed he was an “alien dinosaur-like creature and that he would transform from his human form into his Black Raptor form on his 21st birthday,” which was Oct. 13, the day Lawrence was killed.
Originally from Decatur, Mich., Marko had behavioral-health issues before he enlisted in 2006, according to the Army analysis.
Besides alcohol abuse, he suffered from Tourette’s syndrome, as well as speech and learning disabilities, the paper cited the Army report as saying.
Marko served in Baghdad from January 2007 to February 2008. He is being held without bail in the El Paso County Jail on 19 felony counts, including first-degree murder.
