Oct. 28--Scott Marshall, a tattoo artist who won Season 4 of the Spike TV reality show "Ink Master," was found dead Sunday at a Roselle hotel, according to officials. He was 41.
Marshall's wife, Johanna, told TMZ that Marshall told her he wasn't feeling well enough Saturday night to drive from his job at the Roselle Tattoo Co. to their home in Plainfield and got a hotel room instead. Tribune calls to the Marshall home were not returned Tuesday.
Roselle police Sgt. John Lawson said police received a phone call Sunday at 4:24 p.m. about an unresponsive guest at the Holiday Inn Express, 1490 W. Lake St. Paramedics found Marshall deceased in his room, Lawson said. Police are conducting a death investigation, Lawson said.
An official at the Roselle hotel said he could not provide any information.
A spokeswoman for the DuPage County coroner's office said an autopsy was performed on Marshall, but she would not provide a manner or cause of death, saying "it's a pending investigation."
On Tuesday, a representative for the Roselle Tattoo Co. posted on its Facebook page, "Truly a sad day. RIP Scott Marshall. A huge loss for the tattoo community." A shop worker declined to speak to the Tribune.
Marshall beat out 16 tattoo artists on "Ink Master" in 2014 to win $100,000 and a feature in Inked magazine.
"Everybody the last three years told me I should try out for the show," Marshall told the Tribune last year. "I was like most tattoo artists who say 'I'll never go on those tattoo shows, blah, blah, blah.' People say these things because they're not pushing themselves or don't have the opportunity. I looked inward and said if I had the chance to do that, I think it would be great to compete on that level. It got to the point where I felt like it was my destiny to win it from the time I went on my first casting call (in Detroit) until I won it."
A Spike spokeswoman released a statement about Marshall's death: "Spike and (the) entire Ink Master family are stunned and saddened by the news of Scott's passing. He was a great competitor and talented artist. Our deepest condolences go out to the Marshall family and friends."
Show host Dave Navarro tweeted Tuesday "#InkMaster @SpikeInkMaster I am very sad to report that Inkmaster and friend Scott Marshall has passed away. My condolences to his family."
