Marlon Chattman

Marlon Chattman Case

A Brutal Rape

At approximately 9:50 p.m. on May 2, 1990, the female victim, an 18-year-old high school student, was walking to her car after shopping at the Phar-Mor drugstore. As she approached her car, a stranger, later identified as Marlon Chattman, came running up behind her. When the victim started to open her car door, Chattman grabbed her from behind and said, “Get in the car, bitch.”

After being forced into her car, the victim started to cry. Chattman pulled out a knife and said he would kill her if she cried, got upset or screamed.He then forced the victim to move next to him and interlock her left arm with his right arm. Chattman held the knife in his right hand.

Chattman began driving around with the victim. During the drive, he asked her personal questions including her name. Chattman pulled into the driveway of an abandoned house. He put the knife on the dashboard and forced the victim to kiss him. Chattman put his hand under the victim’s shirt and started touching her chest. Chattman removed his hand from the victim’s chest and put his hand between her legs. He then said, “I want you.”

Chattman picked up the knife from the dashboard and began driving around again for approximately five to ten minutes. Chattman drove back into the same driveway and put the knife on the dashboard. The victim became very scared and began to cry again.

Chattman then told the victim to take her pants off. The victim then became very upset and said, “Please don’t do this.” Chattman got angry. Terrified, the victim took her jeans off. Chattman then forced her to take off her underwear. Chattman removed his coat and got on top of the victim. The victim begged Chattman not to touch her. Chattman began to rape the woman. During the rape, Chattman told the victim, “Make love to me, bitch.” At some point, Chattman got angry with the victim and said, “Love me or die.”

After the rape, Chattman put his right hand around the victim’s neck and grabbed the knife with his left hand. Chattman put the knife to the victim’s throat. She begged Chattman not to kill her. The victim promised Chattman she would not tell anybody what happened. Chattman then took the victim’s driver’s license and told her he would kill her if she told the police what happened. She again promised not to tell.

Chattman pulled out of the driveway and drove to the rear of an apartment complex. He forced the victim out of the car and they began to walk towards a nearby dumpster. On the way to the dumpster, a female came from behind a fence and walked by them. It is believed that had this individual not walked by, Chattman would have killed the victim. Chattman walked the victim back to her car and told her to leave.

The victim immediately went to police, and Chattman was picked up a short time later and charged with abduction and rape.

Chattman was convicted on all counts based on both the victim’s testimony and on DNA evidence (this was the first DNA case in Trumbull County). DNA results found Chattman the rapist by odds of 145 million to one. Chattman was sentenced from 15 to 50 years in prison.

History Of Violence

Marlon Chattman had a history of violence since he was very young. His violence culminated in 1973, when Chattman was sixteen. He was arrested and charged in Indiana after he raped and robbed a 59-year-old woman in a dry cleaning store. Chattman was convicted on all charges and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.

In December 1981, after serving only 8 years, Chattman was paroled. By February 1982, Chattman was back in prison for parole violations.

In July 1989, Indiana paroled Chattman again. According to Chattman, he came to Youngstown, Ohio on the advice of a pen pal friend he met in prison.

Chattman did not take long to go back to his violent ways. In November 1989, Chattman was back in jail again, this time for stabbing a woman six times. A glitch in the system did not notify authorities about Chattman’s past in Indiana. As a result of this glitch, instead of going to prison for three to 15 years, Chattman was given probation.

Six months later, Chattman committed the abduction and rape of the 18-year-old high school student.

Chattman Speaks

Chattman’s comments to psychologists while incarcerated speak volumes as to how dangerous he is to the community.

Chattman states he was first referred for psychiatric help at the age of six, when he stabbed his teacher “seven times with a letter opener.”

Chattman denied ever considering killing himself, however he states he thought often of killing others. He said he dreams almost nightly of killing others.

Chattman states that he could not have raped the 18-year-old victim, because knowing himself and knowing what he learned in prison, if he had committed the rape, and  there were no witnesses other than the victim, “There would have been a vital statistic.”

Chattman refers to the time he stabbed the woman six times as the “Killing Season.” During that time, he also states he worked at a poultry slaughterhouse. He said he was fired after stabbing a co-worker and he states that he was never charged with the offense.

Chattman states that at age thirteen, he was kicked out of school for shooting the principal because “he tried to paddle me.”

Chattman claims that during his incarceration in Indiana, he had a full sized “rubber doll,” which he used for sexual gratification.

Chattman states that while in prison, he was transferred to a more secure facility after stabbing a guard.

Chattman states he did not return home after being released from prison in Indiana because if had he gone there, he would have murdered several people.

Chattman claims that while in prison, he was involved in major fights and killings.

No Parole

Marlon Chattman is a ticking time bomb who has been given multiple opportunities to rehabilitate himself. He has twice been paroled after he robbed and raped a woman. Instead of turning his life around, Chattman immediately reverted back to his violent, sadistic behavior. He was given a huge break when a glitch in the legal system allowed him to be on probation after stabbing a woman six times. Rather than take the opportunity to change his life, Chattman abducted and raped an 18-year-old high school student. Based on Chattman’s own words, we believe that if he is released, the “killing season” will resume and his next victim will become a “vital statistic.” We strongly believe that to further the interests of justice and to protect the community, Marlon Chattman should serve the maximum prison sentence of 50 years for this violent brutal crime.