LSHS Predator: Unpacking Mark Hein’s Bizarre Behavior During Criminal Interview
Rambling on about his "festering" attraction for students, Hein twice begins rubbing the leg of Det. Parnell under the table. In order to show how he rubbed the victims’ leg. I mean. What next?
J425 Special Report: The Criminal Interview of Mark Hein
When I talk with teachers in schools where an abuser has been arrested, I hear admissions that they had suspected something but, because they were not completely sure, did not want to say anything. A common explanation for not reporting questionable behavior is, “If I reported and I was wrong, I would have ruined the life of another teacher.” I have never heard a colleague say, “If I didn’t report and this person had abused, I’d have ruined the life of a student.”
- Dr. Carol Shakeshaft, author of “Educator Sexual Misconduct, a Synthesis of Existing Literature”
Editor’s Note: J425 returns to the Mark Hein investigation here. Hein remains on paid leave pending an ongoing criminal investigation into multiple counts of misconduct involving minor students.
This is the fifth full report on the Lake Stevens High School math teacher/coach arrested January 25 on multiple counts of sexual misconduct involving minor students and booked into Snohomish County Jail. The charges were later dropped, and while law enforcement told J425 they intended to refile, no new charges have been filed.
J425 contacted the school district late last month and confirmed that Hein remains on paid administrative leave pending the completion of administrative investigations.
We heard from Lake Stevens Police as well, who confirmed that a criminal investigation is still ongoing.
Today’s story presentation includes graphic visualizations of statements pulled from Detective Parnell’s criminal interview of Mark Hein. This our attempt to help a fairly difficult bit of reporting become more accessible.
If all you do is scroll down and read the pull quotes, you’ll still get a good idea of the gist of the interview. Before you move on to the interview pull quotes though, consider this statement from a very influential player whom you’ll become more familiar with in following installments of J425’s investigation of educator sexual misconduct involving students.
Probable Cause Obtained
We know this much: Detective Parnell wrote at the end of the interview transcript that she’d obtained probable cause as a result of this awkward and difficult exchange, which includes two occasions in which Detective Parnell details Hein rubbing his leg against hers in a manner that made her very uncomfotable.
Why the hell was Hein rubbing his leg against the detective charged with investigating him…during a criminal interview about allegations of sexual misconduct?
Well, he was only recreating the types of contact he’d had with one of the victims, of course.
Makes perfect sense right?
With that said, here’s the J425 reporting on Detective Parnell’s criminal interview of Mark Hein. - KTH
This report is based off Detective Kristin Parnell’s one-on-one suspect investigation with Mark Hein conducted on August 15, 2022. We’ll publish the entire transcript at the end.
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