Not much was said as officers from the LAPD moved the body of Mark Salling, 35, from where it was found on Jan. 30. The ex-Glee star was found dead from an apparent suicide, as law enforcement officials tell TMZ that Mark was found “hanging from a tree” near a river bend in Sunland, California. Mark was reportedly found dead near a little league field adjacent to a creek, and from the looks of the video, it’s possible he wasn’t immediately in view.
The LAPD were called to do a “welfare check” on mark, according to TMZ. This ultimately led them to the baseball field where his body was found. A member of Mark’s family reportedly went to the LAPD sometime around 3 AM on Jan. 30 to report him as a missing person. Sadly, when he was found, he was no longer with us. Homicide detectives are on the scene to make sure this wasn’t a case of foul play, but sources tell TMZ that all signs are pointing to suicide by hanging.
UPDATE: There was no suicide note found near Mark’s body — he was found by pure luck, according to TMZ.
Before his death, Mark was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. The ex-Glee star was arrested in 2015 after the police conducted a raid on his California home. Prosecutors say he had 50,000 images of underage children on his computer, and it looked like he was going away for a long time – until he cut a deal. Mark’s guilty plea would have sent him away for 4 to 7 years. Afterward, he would be registered as a sex offender, would be banned from being around anyone under the gage of 18, and would have to pay $50,000 to each of his victims.
“Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment,” Mark’s lawyer Michael J. Proctor said in a statement to HollywoodLife.com. “He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.”
HollywoodLifers, what do you think about Mark’s apparent suicide?