Troubled MasterChef finalist commits suicide two months after striking police officer and claiming Gordon Ramsay had possessed him



Josh Marks, 27, was found dead in Chicago alleyway from gunshot wound to the head



Marks was arrested July 31 by University of Chicago police after a confrontation on campus

Marks allegedly hit an officer and tried to take his gun



The 7'2" cook claimed that 'a**hole' Gordon Ramsay has possessed him and turned him into God

Finalist of the MasterChef TV cooking contest Josh Marks has been found dead from an apparent suicide in Chicago just months after his infamous run-in with police.

Marks, 27, was discovered dead from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in an alleyway Friday night, TMZ reported.

Police responded to the scene after getting a call from a woman screaming for help.

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Tragic end: MasterChef season 3 finalist Josh Marks, 27, was found dead in a Chicago alleyway from what it believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head

Downward spiral: Marks, who had previously spoken publicly about his struggle with mental health problems, was arrested in July after an altercation with a police officer



Officers reportedly found the gun used in the apparent suicide near Marks' body.



Marks was arrested July 31 after a bizarre confrontation with University of Chicago police in which he told officers he'd been possessed by Gordon Ramsay - who turned him into God. - wasn't the first time he's run afoul of the law.

The 7 foot 2 cook had several run-ins with the law. Marks was also arrested in June on a trespassing charge. His transgressions have also cost him multiple sponsorships.



The trespassing charge stemmed from his constant presence at a condominium complex where he was not a resident, according to TMZ.

Cooking up a storm: Josh Marks was a big favorite on MasterChef but has been arrested in Chicago after a confrontation with police

Recipe for success: Josh Marks (left) with Ryan Umane at a FOX MasterChef Season 3 event last year

Discovered by the celebrity gossip site after delving into Illinois criminal records, Marks was first corralled by the fuzz for repeatedly sneaking into a Chicago condo complex.

Marks allegedly gained entry by telling residents he lived in there, causing building management to circulate a warning to tenants warning them to be on the lookout for a 'very tall' African-American man who 'enters the building by catching the door,' and advising them to call 911, reported TMZ .

The trespassing case still pending didn't stop Marks from getting into his latest scuffle, which may cost him 14 years in prison.



The 7'2" tall basketball player turned cook was seen trying to us an emergency telephone when police approached and asked him if anything was wrong, a ccording to TMZ,



Judgement day: Judges Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich named Christine Ha the winner of MasterChef season three, making Josh Marks the runner-up

Runner-up: Since coming second in MasterChef, Marks has cooked at charity events and pop-up restaurants

Marks, who is not a student at the university, allegedly lunged at an officer, striking him and attempting to grab his gun, saying that 'asshole' Gordon Ramsay had possessed him and transformed him into God.



Officers reportedly tried to subdue Marks, but the baton and pepper spray they used on the tall foodie had no effect.



Marks broke free from officers and began running, he was finally apprehended by five officers in a resident's backyard and taken to hospital for his injuries, according to reports.

Marks was booked on various charges including resisting arrest and assault. Marks remains in hospital in Chicago where he's being restrained in a bed. It doesn't appear as though drugs were involved in Marks' strange outburst, according to TMZ.

Marks, a U.S. Army contract specialist, was the runner-up to Christine Ha in the third season of the popular reality cooking show MasterChef last year where he was mentored by Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot.

The self-taught cook beat out 30,000 hopefuls for a spot on the show and came close to the top spot, losing out to Ha after serving up an undercooked lobster.

Hell's kitchen: It's not clear what the relationship between Ramsay and Marks has been after MasterChef, but Marks allegedly referred to the chef as an 'asshole' and claimed to be possessed by him

Since the show, he's been involved with the Real Men charities in Chicago and has spoken about plans to open his own culinary school.



Marks was also an official spokesperson for the 'Make a Sound Project' and a celebrity judge for a New York-based culinary competition called 'Culinary Fight Night,' according to TMZ. Both have dropped him from their rosters, the site reported .

' We appreciate what Josh has done for us but we're in the market of helping people. So, we'll keep him in our prayers ... but as of now Chef Marks will be dropped as a spokesman,' a spokesperson for the charity told TMZ.

A CFN spokesperson told TMZ that Marks was dismissed from his celebrity judging duties at the cooking competition for the safety of all involved, and also because 'we won't have this man tarnish the integrity of our brand.'



Before appearing on the show, Marks told the blog Eat Jackson what he thought about Gordon Ramsay:



'He has that intensity that I like… He doesn’t intimidate me; he motivates me harder… His personality is milder on [MasterChef] than on Hell’s Kitchen; but he can get intense.'

Following the first of two eliminations on the show, Ramsay told Marks that he could call him any time and that he would help the young chef with his career.