19 July 2023- Court filings paint a graphic image of a Waynesboro man accused of assaulting his father then sending a text message advising him to kill himself. Mark Edward Kline is charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault with extreme indifference, two counts of felony strangulation, misdemeanor unlawful restraint, and misdemeanor terroristic threats. Kline was denied bail by MDJ Manns, with the judge listing the reason as “No bail conditions available to ensure the safety of the victim”.
Washington Township PD were dispatched to a home on Pen Mar Road in Waynesboro around 6:20pm on July 18th for a domestic, with dispatch saying it was inactive and the suspect was no longer at the scene. Police spoke with the victim, who said that the perpetrator was his son, Mark Kline. The incident allegedly started Friday night, with Kline allegedly breaking ceiling fan paddles in one of the bedroom just after midnight. When Kline’s father told him to stop and that it was time to move out, Kline allegedly began attacking the victim. The assault was allegedly prolonged, with Kline allegedly chasing his father throughout his own home, punching him in the nose, face, and mouth, and then throwing his father down about 20 stairs. Kline also allegedly choked his father after the latter regained consciousness and wouldn’t let him leave the house. The victim would be assaulted more if/when he tried to leave the house.
An additional assault allegedly happened around 3pm on July 18th, with Kline allegedly showing back up at his father’s home with a grinder power tool after his father asked him about an incident that happened with another person. Kline allegedly began making grinding marks all over the victim’s house with the tool, allegedly telling him that if he disrupted a family member’s wedding he’d kill him. Kline also allegedly made graphic threats to his father, threatening repeatedly to kill him.
Officers were shown a text allegedly from Kline to his father, saying “When you decide to shoot yourself, do it outside or in a room I won’t have to redo the dry wall. Thanks. And if you do I’ll probably just burn the whole house down and go from there. So, it’s whatever”.
Police were able to find Kline at his mother’s house, also in Waynesboro.
Mark Kline was denied bail and is lodged at Franklin County Corrections. His preliminary hearing is set for August 1st.
Sources: Docket Number: MJ-39201-CR-0000257-2023, Incident No.: WTPD202306353
