“They’d tell me he was a good guy: ‘We don’t know what your mother’s told you, but he was a good guy.’ But a lot of times he’d call, and I’d be there — maybe I’d be on the floor coloring or watching TV — and it wouldn’t have been nothing for him to say, ‘Put him on the phone.’ He coulda talked to me, let me know something.”
Being raised in such an environment left a deep emotional impact on him. With no consistent male role model, Marshall looked to other figures for guidance. His mother, Debbie Mathers, struggled with her own issues, including alcohol and drug use. While some of her boyfriends provided temporary support, none offered the stable guidance that Marshall craved.
Marshall’s upbringing was further complicated by constant relocation. He and his mother frequently moved between Missouri and Detroit, Michigan, living in public housing and attending multiple schools.
The frequent moves made it nearly impossible to maintain stable friendships, leaving him isolated and vulnerable.
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