Nebraska Woman Calls 911 to Report Boyfriend Unresponsive, Only for Nurses to Find ‘Significant Amounts of Makeup’ Covering Numerous Bruises. Now She’s Facing Life In Prison for His Murder
A Nebraska woman who beat her boyfriend to death then tried to cover up the crime by applying makeup over the victim’s injuries has been found guilty of second-degree murder, marking the conclusion to a shocking domestic abuse case that turned fatal three years ago.
Following a five-day trial in federal court, a jury convicted Michelle Lee Marr, 49, on Feb. 7 on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with documents or evidence. The victim in the case was her live-in boyfriend, Jesse Gilpin, who died in March 2022.
She faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on the murder count and a maximum of 20 years for the tampering case. Marr’s sentencing is set for June 5 before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Buescher, who also presided over the trial.
The case was tried in federal court because the slaying was committed on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska. When Marr was first arrested, she was taken into custody by FBI agents.
Marr called 911 requesting an ambulance on March 12, 2022, saying Gilpin would not wake up. Winnebago EMS arrived to find the victim unresponsive and transported him to Twelve Clans Unity Hospital, but due to the extent of his injuries, Gilpin was flown by helicopter to Mercy One Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.
Medics discovered extensive blunt-force trauma, with severe swelling and marks covering the victim’s body. However, the extent of the injuries only became clear after nurses wiped away “significant amounts of makeup,” revealing hidden bruises on the face and numerous others across the man’s body.
A nurse at Mercy Medical Center said it took time to scrub the makeup off Gilpin’s face and noted it matched his skin tone.
Gilpin had a bruise or knot at least the size of a golf ball on the left side of his head, with additional bruises on the right. The makeup was applied thickly, appeared fresh, and showed no signs of being slept in, according to multiple news reports.
Gilpin died March 13, 2022. An autopsy found he died from blunt force trauma and that the manner of death was homicide. The pathologist testified the victim’s injuries were consistent with inflicted trauma as opposed to trauma which might result from an accident, like a fall.
The exact cause of the injuries was never revealed.
It’s not clear if Gilpin had any immediately family, but presumably he lived on the reservation where he met his fate.
Marr claimed she had been passed out from 5 p.m. March 11 until discovering Gilpin the next day. However, the investigation uncovered social media activity and data from her phone that contradicted her account. During the trial, witnesses testified to having previously seen Marr physically assault the victim, sometimes going as far as striking him in the head.