Photo: Putnam County Police (2)
Content warning: This story contains disturbing descriptions of violence.
It took less than an hour for a Florida jury to deliberate and recommend Mark Wilson Jr. be sentenced to death for the brutal murder of two young brothers.
A judge will make the final decision on whether to accept the jury’s recommendation during a December hearing.
“Welcome to the 7th Circuit, where making justice a reality is our sworn and solemn duty,” State Attorney R.J. Larizzasaid in a statement following the sentencing hearing. “Our heart goes out to the victims' family. It’s in the judge’s hands now.”
On Aug. 19, 2020, Robert Baker, 12, and 14-year-old Tayten Baker were found stabbed and bludgeoned to death in their Melrose, Fla., home.
The motive for the slayings was unclear at the time, but Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach said Wilson had allegedly been on a methamphetamine binge prior to the killings.
“It is our understanding from some of our interviews with some of the individuals associated with the case that the suspect Mark Wilson was under the influence of methamphetamine and had been for several days, and we think that may have been a contributing factor to this heinous, just rageful crime,” DeLoach told PEOPLE in 2020.
The crime scene was one of the worst he had ever seen, DeLoachtold FirstCoast News. The boys were beaten with a hammer and then had their throats slashed with a filet knife, crime analysts testified at the sentencing hearing.
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The youngest brother, Robert, was found nearly decapitated, and Tayten had multiple slash wounds. His mother found him at the end of an 18-foot trail of blood, according to testimony.
Wilson, who is married to the boys' aunt, was living in a shed on the Bakers' property when the murders happened,WJXT reported.
In a statement after Wilson’s conviction, Larizza said, “The defendant murdered our child victims with a ferocity that shocked the conscience of us all.”
He added, “There was no mercy, only a violent and relentless rage that left two young brothers dead within their own home. He should receive the same degree of mercy he showed Tayten and Robert.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
