Markle began planning the murders of his wife and two daughters as well as his own death at least three weeks before the killings, Little Rock Police Chief Jess F. “Doc” Hale told reporters at a news conference in December 1987.

But he stopped short of assigning a motive. Patrolman Tom Johnston is pictured with evidence from Markle slayings case. (Arkansas Gazette file photo)

“I don’t think that we can ever tell you exactly why,” Hale said of the killings.

Police believed the murder-suicide was spurred, at least in part, by Markle’s fear of financial ruin after his departure from Stephens.

On Nov. 9, 1987, Markle checked with his insurance company to determine whether his policy contained an effective suicide clause. According to Associated Press reporting at the time, the clause gave $500,000 to McCambridge.

McCambridge reportedly knew nothing about her son’s thefts from Stephens Inc. — at least not until the scheme was uncovered in Markle’s final days.

On Nov. 13, 1987, Markle and his wife rented two movies at RAO Video for a “Freddy Party” the daughters had planned, their dance teacher told the Arkansas Democrat. One was A Nightmare on Elm Street. That movie was found in a VCR in a playroom on the second floor of the home.

An employee at RAO noted that the family didn’t usually rent horror movies like Nightmare.

On Nov. 15, a man matching Markle’s description walked into the Quapaw Gallery at 1305 Main St. and bought an expensive “old man” Halloween mask.

“He gave me an uneasy feeling that something wasn’t right,” the clerk told a Gazette reporter days after the murder-suicide. “Poor guy. Poor family.”

The clerk said she thought it was strange that someone would pay $24 for a mask and not want to try it on. It was dark-skinned, had a “[partly] bald head and a big nose” as well as some “salt and pepper hair and a mustache,” according to newspaper reports.

“He looked like he knew what he came in for,” the worker said.

Early the next morning, the Markles — John, Christine, Suzanne and Amy — would all be dead.

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