Born February 05, 1952 in Eatonville, Washington U.S.A Mark Fuhrman was born to American parents who divorced when he was only seven years old. Staying with his Mother, she only remarried for a short time. After his attendance and graduation at the High School of Peninsula in Gig Harbor, Fuhrman joined the Marine Corps of the U.S.A at the age of 18 in 1970 where he received training as a machine gunner and military policeman. While he claims he served in Vietnam, there is no actual proof of his service overseas and no records can be found to state differently. Fox Butterfield of the New York Times claims that the closest Mark Fuhrman got to Vietnam was his position with the USS New Orleans stationed underwater offshore.

After attaining the rank of Sergeant, Fuhrman was honorably discharged in 1975 and it was in this year that he moved to California. He entered and completed his graduation from the Police Academy of Los Angeles as a distinguished Cadet ranked as second in his class. Soon after in 1977, he divorced his first wife, Barbara L. Koop whom he had married four years ago, November 24, 1973, and in the same year took up a stressful assignment as part of a new team geared towards cracking down Latino street gangs in Eastern Los Angeles.

Later that same year he took Janet Ellen Sosbee as his wife on December 17, 1977. Already a sufferer of depression, in 1978 Fuhrman lost a good friend who too was a fellow police officer of San Clemente to murder. This loss created a deep sense of disillusionment with law enforcement and a kindled disgust for the neighborhoods in which he worked. With this mindset, he sought out help through the Behavioral Science Services Section, the department’s psychological counseling unit for treatment. 

After Divorcing Janet on December 24 of 1980, in 1981, Fuhrman requested leave for workers compensation supposedly for psychiatric reasoning due in part to the ongoing problems he incurred from his friend's death and his disgust for his work. During counseling and interviews regarding his claim for the insurance, he expressed racist sentiments. His reasons being varied using many racial slurs to describe other cultures than his own, it was after this that Fuhrman received paid leave until 1983.

Fuhrman attempted to leave the police force altogether and acquire a stress disability pension during these years. During 1982, in a psychiatric interview, Fuhrman admitted to torturing suspects and having conned internal affairs detectives. Dr. Koegler wrote that his torture entailed the breaking of bones, choking, and beating in faces while subduing suspects. Fuhrman then admitted because of his actions that he was afraid of killing someone while out on parole.

Fuhrman lost his case for pension, the court deemed the stories falsified in an attempt to win. When Psychiatrist were consulted on which course to take, some suggested his removal from duty while others had recommended for him not to carry a gun.

For this time Fuhrman was briefly placed on leave, once returned, however, he was reassigned to the West Los Angeles division in order to move him away from the main streets of East Los Angeles. He was moved to a higher class neighborhood known for its fame and high social standing where it was said he thrived and it was here in 1989 where he was promoted to detective in 1989.

In 1980, he married to Caroline Lody. Through this marriage, he became the father of Cole and Haley. In 2000, he divorced Janet rumors that his first two marriages did not go well because he had extramarital affairs and girlfriends. Despite this statement of extramarital affairs, there is a lack of evidence to prove this to be anything more than a hoax.