Press Release

Anchorage Woman, Marque, Sentenced to 50 Years for Murder of Her 5-Year-Old Son

February 29, 2024

(Anchorage, AK) – Marley Marque, 32, of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced today for the 2020 murder of her 5-year-old son Jobe Christensen. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren sentenced Marque to 80 years with 30 years suspended and 50 years to serve for the Nov. 20, 2020 murder. Judge Ramgren also sentenced Marque to an additional 30 days to serve on each of two convictions for Assault in the Third Degree for assaults Marque committed against two Anchorage Police Officers.

Marley Marque in talks with her defense counsel during the pre-sentencing report overview. Photo credit: Sam Curtis

In sentencing Marque, Judge Ramgren emphasized that the sentence focused on community condemnation, reaffirmation of societal norms and deterrence to others. Judge Ramgren also expressed appreciation for the powerful victim impact statements given by Jobe’s grandparents. He also found two aggravating factors applied by analogy: that Jobe was a vulnerable victim and that this was a domestic violence offense.

Jobe Christensen was discovered deceased on Nov. 25, 2020, in the home he lived in with Marque. An autopsy revealed Jobe suffered fatal wounds to his neck and throat. After Jobe was killed, Marque was contacted by Anchorage Police officers while she was asleep in her truck at a gas station. When officers attempted to speak to her, she pulled out a large knife, and placed two officers in fear of injury.

On Oct. 24, 2023, after a five-week jury trial, Marque was found guilty of Murder in the First Degree and two counts of Assault in the Third Degree.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Rachel Gernat of the Office of Special Prosecutions and Assistant District Attorney Matthew Kaste of the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from paralegals and law office assistants in the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office. The Anchorage Police Department’s Homicide Unit conducted the investigation.

Contact: Assistant Attorney General Rachel Gernat at (907) 269-6250 or rachel.gernat@alaska.gov.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.