Yesterday, it was confirmed that Glee actor Mark Salling had killed himself by hanging, and his body was found by a riverbed. The star had been on a downward spiral ever since child porn images were discovered on his computer, and he was set to serve prison time for his crimes. It is reported that friends close to the actor said that in the months leading up to his suicide, he told people in his life that he was “not okay.” Salling reportedly did not leave a suicide note.
Mark Salling had recently entered a plea deal for his child porn crimes, for which he would serve 4 to 7 years in prison and pay restitution for what he had done. Within the plea bargain was a deal that he would pay $50,000 to each victim who had appeared in some of the child porn videos and pictures found in his possession.
However, TMZ reports that now that Salling has killed himself, it is impossible for the plea bargain to continue . This is because without Salling present in the courthouse, they cannot sentence him, which must be done before he is ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his child porn.
The media outlet states that Salling’s victims can sue his estate, however, and receive their $50,000 each from any money left in his account.
https://t.co/T3lCxzcsDr pic.twitter.com/FYbYGIUS8N
— Mark Salling (@MarkSalling) March 22, 2016
There have been mixed reactions about Salling’s death since it was announced. Many fans of the TV series Glee are adamant that they have lost a huge part of the show, while others feel that they cannot mourn Salling at all due to the heinous crimes he has admitted.
Mark Salling’s body was found near a Little League baseball field in Sunland, California. An autopsy will be performed in the next few days, though it is fairly clear that he died from hanging himself.
Salling played Noah “Puck” Puckerman on the FOX series Glee for several seasons. Although he was a favorite on the television show, he was disgraced in December 2015 when it was discovered that he had been watching child porn on his computer.