Richmond County authorities have arrested a homeless man with possible mental problems for stabbing an elderly doctor to death Sunday night in the victim’s home.
Marcus Banks, 38, is facing charges of murder and weapon possession in the death of 79-year-old Dr. Clarence Flanigan Jr., authorities said.
The suspect is reportedly schizophrenic and went into the Madison Lane home unannounced Sunday, confronted the victim and stabbed him repeatedly. The victim had received threats from the man before, but nothing that turned physical. There are also reports the suspect is the victim’s stepson.
Dr. Flanigan was pronounced dead at 8:56 p.m. Sunday, Coroner Mark Bowen said.
Officers responded to the home around 7:42 p.m. Sunday in reference to a mental evaluation.
“Deputies met with Marcus Banks who advised there was a dead body in the home and he wanted it gone,” a sheriff’s report says. “Banks then was detained while deputies searched the home. Deputies found Clarence Flanigan in the back bedroom stabbed at least one time in the upper torso. Deputy Coroner Christopher Langford arrived on scene and pronounced Flanigan deceased.”
Banks was taken into custody and later identified as the killer. He is a repeat offender with a long list of arrests for criminal trespassing, obstruction of officers, theft and battery. The battery charge was dismissed before trial, but he was convicted of the other crimes and always given probation and community service. Banks was arrested less than a month ago for an order to show cause in Superior Court, which means he was accused of violating conditions of an earlier sentence.
According to online records, Dr. Clarence Flanigan Jr. was an emergency medicine specialist with over 48 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1975. It’s unclear whether he was still working or not.
Note: If you have a better photo of the victim to share, please text it to 803-487-3224.
