The Atlanta doctor who died in a mysterious house fire Saturday was arrested days before for allegedly attacking a woman at the residence, police said.
Dr. Marcus Moseley was charged with battery Thursday when he repeatedly punched a woman he believed was having an affair with his wife, according to the Atlanta Police report.
Authorities have yet to say whether the midnight domestic dispute is related to the house fire 48 hours later in southwest Atlanta, which officials are investigating as a case of arson.
“At this time, it is not clear if the two incidents (domestic and death) are related,” said a statement Thursday by Atlanta Police Sgt. Warren Pickard. “All possibilities are being considered as we continue to work this death investigation.”
He added, “We have spoken to all parties involved who are being cooperative with authorities on the investigation.”
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to determine the cause of death for Moseley, 48.
On Saturday evening, witnesses say they saw Moseley running out of his home, on fire and barely wearing any clothes, toward the backyard area, said Atlanta fire Sgt. Cortez Stafford. Moseley’s body was recovered from the backyard pool.
Two days before, Moseley’s wife, Anita Moseley, told police that her husband came home unexpectedly Thursday and attacked her friend. She said the woman had come to the home to comfort her on a day she was scheduled for surgery, according to the police report.
Marcus Moseley told police he believed the two women were having an affair, and that he became enraged when he saw them sitting close together in a back bedroom of the home, the report said. Police said he acknowledged he attacked the woman.
Anita Moseley told police she jumped in between her husband and the woman as he was punching her in the face and head.
The woman, who suffered a bruise on her forehead and cuts on her lips, was treated at the scene. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has chosen not to identify the woman because she could not be reached for comment to confirm the story in the police report. Anita Moseley also could not be reached for comment.
Anita Moseley is the owner of the property, according to Fulton County property tax records. The house is described as a one-story ranch having five bedrooms, two full baths and two half baths, and a pool. She bought the house in 2012.
On Tuesday, the AJC reported that firefighters found an unexplained quantity of flammable liquid or gas at the home on the 900 block of Oriole Drive in southwest Atlanta.
The Atlanta Fire Department’s incident report on the 6:15 p.m. fire listed a liquid or gas as a “contributing factor.” The report also listed the cause of the fire as “intentional,” although fire authorities said that was a preliminary judgment and they are continuing to investigate the blaze as arson. The AJC obtained the report through the State Open Records Act.
Officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and how Moseley ended up dead in the pool.
Moseley was born and raised in Chicago, according to his biography on the website Your Doctor’s Immediate Care, a Macon-based group of urgent care physicians. His bio states that he loved what he did for a living and believed he was brought into this world to perform “The Practice of Medicine.” He attended the Medical College of Wisconsin and received his medical degree in 1996. Moseley was married with three children, the website states.
Staff writer Lauren Foreman contributed to this article.
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