Dr. Marinus Iwuchukwu, a theology professor at Duquesne University, was stabbed to death by his wife on January 17th in Wilkins, Pennsylvania. When Allegheny County police arrived at the home, they found both Iwuchukwu and his wife dead on the floor – his wife with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police were responding to a 911 call from a third party who had reason to believe that Dr. Iwuchukwu had been stabbed and his wife was still in the home with a gun. Police have yet to identify the caller and don’t know how the caller learned of the tragedy. The investigation is ongoing as police search for a motive.
When officers arrived at the home, they immediately tried to get a response out of the household. They decided to call in the County Police SWAT to force an entry. Upon entering the home, both Dr. Iwuchukwu and his wife were dead– both had stab wounds, but the wife also had a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“The team made entry into the home and found a 59-year-old adult male and a 50-year-old adult female deceased. Both the male and female appeared to have sustained lacerations, and the female sustained an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Allegheny County police department said in a statement.
In the days following the tragic incident, we’ve learned that Dr. Marinus Iwuchukwu and his wife, Charte Dunn, had been married since 2017. A divorce was filed by Dr. Iwuchukwu in 2020, but it wasn’t finalized at the time of the couple’s deaths. Authorities are unsure if divorce played a role in the murder-suicide.
We’ve also learned a little bit more about Iwuchukwu and the type of person he was leading up to his death. One of his former student aides described him as ‘genuinely, just such a kindhearted person’ – noting that Dr. Iwuchukwu always made an effort to understand what was ‘going on in her life.’
“Marinus became an incredibly accomplished academic theologian .and our world is enriched by his work. But I know that I personally felt even more deeply his kindness, warmth, and ability to communicate peace and love in the most simple and profound ways with all those whom he encountered,” said a friend of his.
Dr. Marinus Iwuchukwu Was an Accomplished Theology Professor
Dr. Marinus Iwuchukwu was 59 years old at the time of his death. He enjoyed a lot of success as a professor, which included 12 years of experience at a public college in Kano, Nigeria. He earned an M.A. in Journalism in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology in 2008 – both from Marquette University.
According to his biography for Duquesne University, he ‘specializes in interreligious dialogue, inclusive religious pluralism, and media and religion.’ He was also the chair of the theology department, chair of the Consortium for Christian-Muslim Dialogue (CCMD), and recipient of the 2014 “Humanity Day Award.”
Iwuchukwu taught four undergraduate classes – Global and Cultural Perspectives (UCOR 143), Judaism, Christianity, & Islam (HEO 283), Jews, Christians, & Muslims in Dialogue (IHP 105 -01), and Abrahamic Religions in Diaspora and Interreligious Dialogue (IHP 105-02). He also taught a Ph.D. seminar.
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In the statement released by the Allegheny County police, officers were urging anyone with information regarding the murder-suicide – no matter how small or large – to report it to the police immediately. You can reach the Allegheny County Police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
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