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Waukegan man pleads guilty to strangling wife, daughter, in family home

A 54-year-old man pleaded guilty in Lake County court Monday to strangling his wife and disabled daughter at the Waukegan home they shared in 2014.

Anthony Marcus was sentenced to 45 years in prison in exchange for the guilty plea in front of Judge George Bridges, Assistant State's Attorney Matt DeMartini said.

DeMartini said Marcus is required to serve the entire sentence before being eligible for parole. Marcus will be 99 years old when he's released, should he serve the entire sentence, DeMartini said.

Marcus was facing up to life in prison if found guilty of killing his wife, Sun Marcus, 50, and daughter, Samantha, 17, on June 8.

He was initially charged with 18 counts of murder, but the remaining charges were dropped in exchange for the guilty plea, DeMartini said.

Authorities said Marcus called Waukegan police to the home in the 4100 block of Continental Drive at 6:15 p.m. and claimed he had killed his family and slit his own wrists, authorities said.

The bodies were found strangled in the basement, authorities said. The family dog also was found dead.

Marcus was treated for his wounds at Vista Medical Center East and was taken to Lake County jail, police said.

Authorities said a note found under the home's front door was addressed to daughter, Michelle Marcus. It read: “I'm sorry. Your dad is a failure at everting (sic),” officials said.

DeMartini read a victim impact statement from Michelle Marcus during the hearing Monday. In the statement, she said she doesn't hate her father for what he had done.

“The truth is, I tried to hate you,” DeMartini said in reading from the statement in court. “I wanted to, but I just can't. I am angry, sad, and heartbroken.”

She said she is in constant turmoil because of the situation, and all she wants to do is “feel normal again.”

“I don't know if I'll ever get there,” Michelle Marcus' statement said. “I have had to make more choices, and put so many pieces together, sometimes I feel like I'm suffocating because of the pressure to handle everything.”

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