Mark 15:44

And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

Cross-reference

Mark 15:39 Historical context

In Mark 15:39, the centurion witnesses Jesus' death — the same centurion Pilate summons in Mark 15:44 to confirm he was already dead.

In John 19:31-37, the soldiers confirm Jesus already dead — fulfilling prophecy — addressing Pilate's same question in Mark 15:44.

Matthew 27:58 records the same request and Pilate's order — showing Pilate's response to Joseph's request, which Mark 15:44 sets up.