Charles Michael Calvert is an Indiana man accused of stabbing his girlfriend, a prominent lawyer named Marcia Linsky, to death on February 3, 2024, according to accusations contained in a police affidavit.
The affidavit, which was posted in full by 21AliveNews, accuses Calvert of murder; it says he told police that he stabbed his girlfriend in self-defense during an argument about chopping onions. However, police believe that Calvert staged the crime scene by placing a knife next to the body, the affidavit says.
The police affidavit describes a bloody crime scene in the kitchen that included a broken crock pot.
According to her LinkedIn page, Linsky practiced criminal defense as a private lawyer. She was co-owner of Blarney Stone Alpaca Ranch, where she raised “alpacas for fiber and sale.” She also worked as a public defender, according to 12Alive.
Allen County Chief Public Defender Bill LeBrato told 21Alive that Linsky was “irreplaceable,” saying, “As good of an attorney as she was, she was ten times better of a person.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Affidavit Says Charles Michael Calvert Called 911 & Said His Girlfriend, Marcia Linsky, ‘Had Come at Him With a Knife’
The probable cause affidavit filed in Allen County, Indiana, accuses Calvert, 60, of committing murder.
On Saturday, February 3, Allen County police responded to a home in reference to Calvert “calling 911 stating that his girlfriend . . . had come at him with a knife,” the affidavit indicates.
He said, “She is no longer with us” repeatedly, according to the affidavit.
“The defendant told dispatch he also had a knife and both knives were still located in the kitchen,” it says, quoting him as saying, “We were having an argument, we both were holding a knife and she came at me.”
An officer found Calvert outside the house standing in the middle of the driveway with his hands up and his phone in his hand, the affidavit says.
However, the court documents detail why police do not believe Calvert’s story.
2. Police Say They Found Marcia Linsky With a ‘Big Gash on Her Head & Neck Area’ & a Broken Crock Pot in the Kitchen
Officers found Linsky inside and located her lying face down with a “big gash on her head and neck area,” the affidavit says, adding that the officer couldn’t find a pulse.
“There were no other individuals located inside the house or in the yard. The kitchen appeared disheveled with a broken crock pot, some bloody kitchen knives, and food items scattered around like there had been a struggle,” according to the affidavit.
Calvert was handcuffed, it says. He told the police he had been dating the victim for about one year, and she “got very aggressive,” the affidavit says.
He stated that he was “cutting onions and the victim stated that he wasn’t doing it correctly,” it adds.
He said she “shoved the crock pot towards him and she came at him with a knife so he grabbed a knife,” the affidavit says.
“I became defensive,” he said, according to the affidavit. He stated he didn’t remember the other details and then said he wanted an attorney, it says.
At 9:09 p.m., dispatch received a phone call from another man named Charles Calvert who advised, “My son called me and said he had hurt his girlfriend and was going to call 911. My son told me his girlfriend was distraught and came at him,” the affidavit says.
The defendant had “dried up blood on his hands,” according to the affidavit.
3. Police Wrote That They Believe the ‘Knives on the Floor’ at the Crime Scene ‘Appeared to Be Staged’
Police went back to the crime scene and felt the “knives on the floor appeared to be staged as they appeared to be placed next to the victim’s body neatly, the larger serrated knife was covered in blood and the other knife appeared to be relatively clean,” the affidavit said.
Police “observed an onion peel in the garbage but did not observe a chopped-up onion anywhere in the kitchen. The crock pot and its contents (ham) were spilled across the kitchen floor and the lid was shattered with the pieces of glass all over the floor,” the court documents say.
Officers found a pair of men’s pants and shirt “which appeared to have a red stain on the front of them believed to be blood, near the east side of the kitchen island,” they say.
The victim’s eyeglasses were on the countertop and had a red substance that appeared to be blood, the affidavit says.
There were shoe scuff marks on the floor of the kitchen, “which made it appear that there was possibly a struggle in that area” toward the victim’s feet, the affidavit says.
A red substance believed to be blood was “splattered on the wall in that area,” the affidavit says. The victim “had a large cut on her back near the back of her neck” and she “appeared to have a large cut on her neck from the front of her neck to the right side of her neck,” it says.
There appeared to be holes in her shirt possibly from additional stab wounds, the affidavit says.
A red substance believed to be blood was found in a shower, which indicated to police the defendant “showered and cleaned himself up prior to calling 911,” the document says.
In the call, Calvert stated, “She became very verbal with me,” the affidavit says. It says Calvert was “very calm throughout the call and has no sense of urgency whatsoever.”
“She’s not breathing, not living, no longer with us,” he said, according to the affidavit.
He said, “She parked her car outside of the garage; she never parks her outside. She bought bleach today, she never buys bleach. In the year I’ve been with her, she’s never bought bleach,” it says.
He said, “She came at me and I responded appropriately. I’m going to spend the night in jail,” according to the affidavit, which adds that he said it happened an hour before.
4. Police Listed Several Points in the Affidavit Explaining Why They Don’t Believe Charles Calvert’s Self-Defense Claims
Police cited the following points to back up the murder accusation in the affidavit:
“The defendant advised the victim charged at him with a knife however there is a laceration is on her back near the back of her neck. The victim has multiple stab wounds. The victim’s neck was severely cut. It appears there was a struggle in the kitchen,” it says.
Police added: “The defendant did not appear to render any aid to the victim. The defendant told the dispatcher it had been ‘around an hour prior’ to him calling. The defendant appeared to clean himself up and changed his clothing. “
The deceased woman had “apparent defensive wounds to her hand.” The “positioning of the knives appears to be staged. Only the defendant and the victim were present and there was no evidence of forced entry,” police also cited.
The affidavit was signed on February 4.
5. Marcia Linsky’s Law Firm Wrote That She ‘Leaves a Void That Will Be Impossible to Fill’
Close & Hitchcock, LLP wrote a tribute to Linsky on Facebook.
“It is with great sadness we must announce the passing of our dear friend and Counsel attorney Marcia Linsky. An inspiration to all, she leaves a void that will be impossible to fill. Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts as they navigate through the coming days and weeks,” the post reads.
“To our clients, we assure you we will be reaching out soon, and we are determined to continue to provide you the same level of representation moving forward. Please be patient with us during this very difficult time as we also mourn the tragic and unexpected loss of our friend and colleague.”
On her Facebook page, Linsky mostly posted photos with her family and athletic pursuits. For example, her profile picture shows her in a kayak.
“I’m walking 31 miles to help the American Cancer Society fight for a world without cancer. This is a very meaningful cause for me. ACS has a platinum rating on GuideStar (the highest possible) so give with confidence! Please consider making a donation because every little bit helps. Thank you for your support!” a recent post reads.
Linsky was a board member for Blue Jacket, Inc. and a magistrate for Allen Superior Court, her LinkedIn page says.
For more than 10 years, she was a deputy prosecuting attorney for the Allen County prosecuting attorney’s office. She had a law degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, the page says.
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