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Lyntell Washington died from a gunshot wound to the head near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when she was seven months pregnant. She was 40 years old, and her boyfriend, married teacher Robert Marks, was later convicted of her murder.
Lyntell Washington was a single mother who worked as an instructional specialist at the Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy where she met Robert Marks, an assistant principal at the school. The two were secretly dating, according to ABC News, as Marks was married.
“Ms. Washington was a treasured member of our team and will be remembered for the impact she had on the many lives she touched through her work in our district,” Superintendent Warren Drake said in a June 2016 statement, according to The Washington Post. “We will continue to offer support to Ms. Washington’s co-workers and students during this difficult time.”
The case was featured on the episode of ABC’s “20/20” that aired on Friday, October 7, 2022. The episode is titled “The Barefoot Witness,” and is now available to be streamed on Hulu.
Here’s what you need to know:
A Friend Says Marks Told Washington He & His Wife Were Going Through a Divorce But Still Living Together
Washington told her close friend, Melissa Mason, that she knew Marks was married but he was going through a divorce while still living with his wife, Mason revealed in an interview with ABC News.
When she died, Washington was seven months pregnant with a baby that, according to documents obtained by WAFB9 in Louisiana, was proven to be Marks’ via DNA evidence.
Washington told Jamicia Pink-Fisher, the Brookstown assistant principal, that she was pregnant with Marks’ baby one week before she went missing, ABC News reported. Pink-Fisher said that Washington was going to tell Marks’ wife about the baby.
Later, Washington found out that Marks was not going through a divorce. Mason told ABC News that Washington learned Marks was on a cruise with his wife, which made Washington “furious,” the outlet reports.
Washington’s Body Was Found In a Ditch & Her 3-Year-Old Daughter Was Found Wandering Barefoot in a Parking Lot
According to the Associated Press, Washington’s 3-year-old daughter was found near her mother’s vehicle by herself, barefoot with blood on her feet, the week after workers located Washington’s decomposed body in a ditch.
When questioned, the girl told officers that her mother had been hurt by “Mr. Robbie,” according to documents obtained by WAFB9 in Louisiana. The girl, according to the outlet, told police that “she heard a ‘bang’ and after the bang, her mom was ‘shaking.'” The probable cause report also stated that her mother was “in the lake and that it was dark outside when her mom got hurt.”
Marks was charged with second-degree murder, feticide, aggravated kidnapping, two counts of kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and four gun charges, according to Oxygen. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in early 2022, according to ABC News.
The charges were originally filed in East Baton Rouge, however, the case was moved to Iberville because there was uncertainty about where Washington was killed, according to the Advocate, which states that cell phone records show a number of different places the murder could have taken place.
The lawyers for the defense claimed that the evidence was circumstantial. The jury deliberated for 30 minutes before coming back and convicting Marks.
Washington’s daughter, who is now 9 years old, lives with her father, Darren Glasper, according to ABC News. The outlet also reported that Marks’ wife filed for divorce after he was found guilty.
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