Death of OSP sergeant ruled suicide

Published 6:41 pm Thursday, March 31, 2022

The death of an Oregon State Police sergeant who was found dead in his patrol car Tuesday killed himself while on duty, authorities said.

The suicide of Sgt. Marcus J. McDowell, who was discovered in the driveway of his home in Joseph with a single gunshot wound to the head, has left the entire agency “grief stricken,” state police said in an announcement Thursday.

“Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and co-workers as they cope with this tragic incident,” the state police statement said. “He was respected by all and especially those he has worked so closely with throughout the years.”

Wallowa County Sheriff Joel Fish said he and one of the county’s two other deputies discovered McDowell’s body about 3:40 p.m. Tuesday.

The sheriff asked the Pendleton Police Department to help investigate the scene because those officers, located more than 120 miles away, aren’t part of the Joseph community, where “everybody knows everybody,” he said.

“Everybody goes to the church or Safeway together. That’s what makes it difficult,” Fish said. “Something like this affects the whole community.”

Fish declined to release details of the ongoing investigation, but said McDowell, 48, had “made notice” of his suicide.

McDowell, a 17-year OSP veteran, was set to go to trial over divorce proceedings with his wife of 24 years in May, court records show.

The sheriff declined to comment if the divorce played any part in the suicide. “In the end, who really knows,” he said.

McDowell had worked in the Patrol and Fish & Wildlife divisions over the years and as a police dog handler around John Day and La Grande, and currently served as the supervisor for state troopers in Union and Wallowa counties, according to Fish.

Oregon State Police Superintendent Terri Davie said the agency’s Critical Incident Response Team was offering peer support to fellow troopers in mourning.

“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, coworkers and responding emergency personnel,” Davie said in a statement.

Fish said the death was reverberating through the close-knit town of just under 1,000 people.

“It’s just important to keep checking on your family and friends’ mental health. You go to the dentist, you go to the doctor, but you don’t necessarily go to get checked at a counselor,” he said. “We need to do away with the stigma of doing that.”

Confidential help for those experiencing thoughts of self-harm is available for free at all times.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — call: 1-800-273-8255; text: “273TALK” to 839863