The Mark Wahlberg Murder Charges That Shocked Everyone
If only for embodying a tumultuous journey from the rough and tough streets of Boston to the glitz and glam of Hollywood, the trajectory of Mark Wahlberg’s life reads like the script of a major motion picture. Yet of all the chapters to Walhberg’s story, indeed the most shocking—and least glamorous—relates to his teenage years, stained by violent, racist behavior, culminating in an attempted murder charge that would dog his reputation.
As TheCrimeMag reports, on the Spring evening of April 8, 1988, a 16-year-old Wahlberg assaulted a middle-aged Vietnamese man with a five-foot wooden pale, rendering him unconscious, all while hurling racial epithets at his victim.
Mark Wahlberg Was Charged With Attempted Murder In 1988
Minutes later, the future movie star committed another assault, this time against a second Vietnamese man, whom he punched in the eye. Make no mistake: these unprovoked attacks were extremely brutal, eventuating Mark Wahlberg’s arrest that very night—his charges: attempted murder.
The Crime Was Reportedly Racially Motivated
And it was a jarring headline to read in the press—up-and-coming star embroiled in a crime bearing obvious implications of racially motivated hate. Wahlberg, for his part, pleaded guilty to assault, considerably lessening the severity of his punishment. Ultimately, the judge sentenced the teenager to two years; Marky-Mark only served three months, with the remainder suspended.
The Crimes Were Brought Back Into The Limelight In 2014 When He Requested A Pardon
Indeed, like the 21 months left on the Father Stu actor’s sentence, the case could have evaporated or at least disappeared from public view as the rapper-turned-actor achieved fame with his group New Kids on the Block. And achieve fame, Mark Wahlberg did—becoming a household name over the next two and a half decades. But the violence and attempted murder charge resurfaced in 2014, when the actor sought a pardon for his convictions.
Mark Wahlberg Seeks Forgiveness
Instead of earning forgiveness, or at least a pardon, the application sparked public outrage. It brought Wahlberg’s past—a past including further instances of racially charged violence—back into the limelight. The public learned, notably, of an episode in 1986: Wahlberg, joined by friends, chased and threw rocks at black children while yelling racial slurs.
Wahlberg tried to repair the PR damage, voicing that his decision to try for a pardon was one he regretted. Mark Wahlberg elaborated that he requires no formal acknowledgment to atone, as he has spent 28 years atoning for his misdeeds. The process, it should be said, did offer an unexpected opportunity for the actor to meet one of his victims. Wahlberg offered a personal apology.
Wahlberg’s Victim Accepts An Apology
This victim, Hoa Trinh, the real hero of the store, demonstrated a remarkable degree of forgiveness, stating that he held no grudge against Wahlberg. Trinh said that he recognized the youth and recklessness of the then-teenager. Underscoring Trinh’s magnanimity, he supported Mark Wahlberg’s plea for a pardon despite his suffering from the actor’s crime.
Lastly, Trinh clarified a central point associated with the crime, often misrepresented: Wahlberg was not responsible for the loss of his left eye (which the press mistakenly blamed him for). Trinh lost his left eye in an injury before the assault.
Ultimately, the dark chapter of Wahlberg’s life involving the charges in 1988 was a stark reminder of the actor’s complex and troubled past. Also, it functions as a testament to the possibilities of change and the power of forgiveness.
