One of the youngest finalists on Fox’s hit show “MasterChef” was found dead in a Chicago alleyway Friday evening from an apparent suicide, according to officials.
Police discovered the body of a young man in the alleyway after they received a phone call from a woman who was screaming for help.
When they arrived to the scene they discovered the “MasterChef” hopeful dead with a gunshot wound to the head. The gun believed to be used was found close by and for now, investigators believe the wound is self-inflicted.
“MasterChef” is a competition reality show dedicated to giving home cooks the opportunity of a lifetime, but for young chef Josh Marks the pressure combined with several personal secrets has been enough to lead him to a tragic end.
The 26-year-old towered over the other contestants both in stature and skill in the kitchen. Standing over seven feet tall, he was encouraged to give up life in the kitchen for a life on the basketball court, but pushed forward to pursue his dreams anyway.
Now, just a few months after his downward spiral began, Marks has apparently committed suicide shortly after revealing his struggle with bipolar disorder.
Before his downward spiral began, Marks had teamed up with the “Make a Sound Project” in an effort to reach out to people who are
battling thoughts of suicide. In the video project he also made the big reveal about his bipolar disorder.
It was only a few months ago that Marks had a run-in with University of Chicago police.
Back in July Marks allegedly punched an officer in the face before trying to snatch his gun. Three officers sprang into action and tried to subdue the young chef with batons and pepper spray.
When all those options failed Marks took off running and his athletic background gave him quite the head start.
It took up to five officers to finally catch Marks and handcuff him before he began making accusations that he had been possessed by Chef Gordon Ramsay, one of the judges and co-producers of “MasterChef,” and turned into God.
The rant had many people assuming Marks had a problem with drugs, but once no evidence of drug use turned up, the problem was obviously much darker than drug addiction.
Now investigators believe Marks was in a manic state during the incident and it’s likely he was in the very same state when he committed the alleged suicide.
