Family of Marion Barber thanks Cowboys, provides more details on tragic death

Determining the cause of death for 38-year-old former Dallas Cowboy Marion Barber will not be easy, according to Barber’s father, Marion Barber II. Barber’s body had begun decomposing when welfare checkers found him in the bathroom of his apartment. His body may have been there for several days with the hot shower running, according to reporting from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The elder Barber shared that the coroner’s office hopes to have more information by Sunday and the authorities are not currently suspicious of foul play.

“They are just using tissue as they dig further into the cause of death,” Barber II said. “They are ruling out things. They haven’t seen any trauma, no foul substances in his body. His lungs were in working order. The heart and veins around the heart were good. They are ruling things out. Right now, we are just waiting.”

The Barber family is planning the memorial service for the former Cowboys running back for June 22 in Minneapolis, though the time and site are still TBD.

Despite several instances of hospitalization for Marion Barber due to mental health, the family will not opt to donate his brain for CTE research. There will be no extensive autopsy, according to his wishes.

“He was real specific in his will that he didn’t want that,” Barber II said. “We are going to respect that. But in the condition his body was in, according to the examiner, that probably would have been a moot point because of the decomposition.”

Barber family thanks Cowboys, community for support

The Dallas Cowboys organization as well as many players and former players have shown support for the family since the tragic discovery on Wednesday. Barber’s father shared his gratitude for the support in these difficult times.

“I know it feels good to us to know that he was loved and respected that much,” Barber said. “The responses we have seen just warms your heart. That is what my family remembers. We appreciate the Cowboys as an organization. It is really comforting to know he had that kind of support.

“Hopefully by midweek, we will have something a little more definitive in terms of a venue for his services. We got to take care of my baby and get him married off this week.”

Barber’s younger brother Thomas has a wedding scheduled for June 10 – which is Marion Barber’s birthday. The family originally picked the date long ago to honor the former Cowboy who would’ve turned 39 this year.