The family of the 24-yer-old man who committed suicide at this year’s Maryland Deathfest have set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of his memorial services.
Axel James Markle from Pennsylvania took his own life on Friday, May 27 by reportedly jumping off a parking structure at the Baltimore Soundstage.
Just prior to doing so, Markle posted a message to his personal Facebook account which read: “I’m sorry to the people I’ve hurt. My life is in shambles and I can’t live any longer. Fair well [sic].”
Yesterday (June 3), Maryland Deathfest organizers commented on Axel’s death during a recap of this year’s festival.
“As many of you know, a tragedy occurred just outside one of the venues on Friday, 5/27,” the organizers wrote. “Like many others, this has been very difficult for us to process, and we don’t think we’ll ever fully process it. Our thoughts and condolences are with those that knew Axel and/or those that have been traumatized by this.”
Family friend Rebecca Osan, who is organizing the GoFundMe campaign, wrote on the fundraising site: “Hello! you may or may not know me- but you most likely know Pinky, or Gail. Her beautiful son, Axel James Markle, tragically took his own life on Friday at the Maryland death metal Deathfest. And it’s been difficult on her and unexpectedly put a strain on the family. Anything you can do to assist this family in their time of stress and need is beyond greatly appreciated.”
Numerous friends and acquaintances paid tribute to Markle in thew days following his death on social media. Ylrebmik Yad, who was also at the event, wrote: “He was like my little brother and he did shite that made me worry but he would come back and then I would run up to him and hug him and tell him, ‘where have you been, I was so worried’! He appreciated that and we would laugh it off. He loves his doom metal and so did I. I appreciated his bass playing, appreciated his Harry Potter glasses, appreciated his hippy vibes.”
Another friend, Bob Samuelson, called Axel “one of the sweetest people in the scene” and wrote that Markle “always lived life to the extreme all the way to the end.”
Axel’s friend Tyler Linberg wrote: “What was supposed to be an outstanding weekend of positivity and delight has turned into one of the worst days of my life. Today i have lost a dear friend, a true friend. I went out of my way to meet up with a beloved soul, Axel James Markle, to help him have the best weekend of the year. I hoped to help him. I wanted to aid him in his struggles. I wanted to help him find peace. I’ve spent the last 5 days with him, had some amazing times, and made a lot of memories I cannot ever forget. At no point did I imagine I’d be losing you from my life, much less today, alongside you. Rest in peace Axel, you deserve it, and I look forward to seeing you again when the time comes”.
Pittsburgh extreme metal band ENTHEOGEN also paid tribute to Axel, posting: “At this time we would like to say goodbye to Axel James Markle. He was our first Merch guy and he was one of the most kind souls you could meet. He was a true lover of music and knew many bands and genres. He was also a great person to be silly and have a great time with . We wont discuss details for respect of the family and other friends. You will be missed more than you know.”
This is an absolutely heartbreaking incident and we want to extend our sincerest condolences to the family and those close to Axel James Markle. If you are personally struggling with similar thoughts or feelings, please call The Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
