Mr. Markell was taking a tour of India accompanied by his wife Alison. Mrs. Markell narrowly escaped death in the corridor of the Taj Hotel after her husband was shot multiple times by terrorists while trying to escape. The couple were woken by the sound of gunfire and an explosion at 9.30pm on November 27 after going to bed early in preparation for an early flight home to Sydney the next day. Hotel staff rang to tell them there had been a security alert and advised them to stay in their room. Several hours later, the couple heard large explosions followed by close gunfire. At 3.45am, Mr. Markell looked through the peep hole in the door to find the corridor outside was on fire. As they attempted to escape they were caught in terrorist gunfire.

Mr. Markell received multiple gunshot wounds and was killed in the hotel. Members of the hotel staff found Mrs. Markell and hid her. They later escorted her out of the hotel and she was taken by ambulance to Mumbai Hospital, where she was met by Australian consulate staff and made contact with her family. The family said Mr Markell would be remembered as a "strong but gentle and generous man, a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather, and friend to many".