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1:31

can remember his head flipped

1:33

forward and then it just banged back against

1:35

the wall. And

1:39

he was the same

1:41

thing, soaked in blood.

1:44

And I didn't get a good look at like what

1:47

his injuries look like. Melrose

1:56

is a small unincorporated community

1:58

in Florida, just 17-year-old. miles

2:00

east of Gainesville. It's

2:02

a charming area with its history dating back to

2:04

the 19th century when it

2:06

was first settled. Originally,

2:09

the area was inhabited by Native

2:11

American tribes before European

2:13

settlers arrived. The

2:15

community of Melrose began to take shape

2:17

around the shores of Lake Santa Fe

2:19

and was eventually named Melrose after

2:22

Melrose in Scotland. The

2:24

area quickly grew as a key location

2:26

for citrus farming due to the fertile

2:29

soil and favorable climate. Throughout

2:31

the 20th century, Melrose evolved

2:33

from an agricultural hub into

2:36

a residential and recreational community.

2:39

The natural beauty of the

2:41

area, including numerous lakes and

2:43

forests, attracted artists, retirees and

2:45

those seeking a quieter lifestyle.

2:48

Today, Melrose maintains its small town

2:50

charm, and it's known for

2:52

its thriving art scene. It's the kind

2:54

of place where people know their neighbours

2:57

and take care of one another. But

3:00

on the 26th of August 2020, the

3:03

fabric of Melrose was forever changed. That

3:07

morning, detectives raced to a

3:09

home along the rural Shiloh Road. A

3:12

report had come in that two boys were found

3:14

dead. Tate

3:30

and Scott Baker was born on the 12th of

3:32

June 2006 to parents Chad and Sarah, who'd

3:36

been married since 2005. His

3:39

younger brother, Robert Andrew Baker, followed

3:41

on the 18th of September 2007.

3:44

The family also

3:46

included a little brother, Landon, who joined them

3:48

in 2016. The boys also

3:52

had two older half-brothers, Colton and

3:54

Cobie, who had come from a

3:56

previous relationship that Chad had. Close

3:59

in age, Robert and Sarah were found dead. Tatein were

4:01

inseparable, truly the best of friends.

4:04

Their great-grandmother, if only recalled. They

4:07

were wonderful boys. They were awesome.

4:10

They never got in no trouble or anything. They

4:13

were just good kids. The

4:16

brothers shared a love for video games, outdoor

4:18

play and swimming. Their

4:21

bond was so strong that when Robert received

4:23

scholarships to attend private schools, he

4:25

turned them down just so he could stay close to

4:27

Tatein. Their older

4:30

brother Colby affectionately recalled.

4:32

Tatein was Robert

4:35

the Big Teddy Bear. He was

4:37

the best. He cared for

4:39

all the animals. He cared for all the

4:41

family. He was planning on going

4:43

and playing football for high school and

4:45

college. On the

4:47

10th of August 2020, the family packed

4:49

up their belongings and moved

4:51

from Lakeland to Melrose, a

4:54

town just south of Jacksonville. The

4:57

move was motivated by a desire to be closer to

4:59

the family in the area, especially

5:01

their cousins, which thrilled the

5:03

boys. They

5:06

settled into a four-bedroom home on Shiloh

5:08

Road, a relatively rural

5:10

and secluded area, yet familiar

5:12

and comforting, since Sarah's

5:15

parents and grandparents lived in the same

5:17

neighbourhood. Sarah recalled. The

5:19

old couple passed away and

5:21

when we purchased the house, it was like fully

5:23

furnished. And she might have been a little bit

5:25

of a hoarder, but the homes were affordable and

5:28

spacious, providing an ideal setting

5:30

for the family's new chapter. Sarah

5:33

explained the motivation behind the move. To

5:35

be closer to my family, I was

5:37

having a lot of difficult times. I

5:40

started getting severe depression,

5:42

you know, anxiety. So

5:44

I thought if I moved closer to my family,

5:46

that my dad would be able to help me

5:49

out of my shell a little bit more. And

5:53

we had a bunch, you know, plans and the kids were

5:55

excited to move up here to be closer to their cousins,

5:58

even though they had lost. lots

6:00

of friends down there. It

6:03

was summer when they moved and Taiten and

6:05

Robert settled in easily and

6:07

anticipated starting their new school.

6:09

14-year-old Taiten was described as

6:11

a happy-go-lucky boy who never

6:13

spoke without smiling, lining

6:15

up any room with his presence. Known

6:19

for his gentle soul and heart of gold, he

6:21

made friends effortlessly and was always

6:23

eager to help his brother or anyone else in need.

6:28

Taiten loved to cook, listen to music, and

6:30

play outside in the garden. But

6:33

what excited him the most were the upcoming

6:35

family camping trips and the adventure

6:37

of starting a new school. 12-year-old

6:39

Robert was both smart and athletic,

6:42

excelling in almost everything that he

6:44

tried. When he received

6:47

scholarships to private schools, it

6:49

came as no surprise to the family. He was

6:52

deeply interested in robotics. Robert

6:55

loved playing basketball, video games, and fishing

6:57

with his friends and family. He

7:00

had a special connection with animals

7:02

and nature, eagerly anticipating family camping

7:04

trips and fishing trips, especially

7:07

with his papa who lived just on the

7:09

road. The boy's grandfather,

7:11

Andrew, lived with his wife, Deborah

7:13

Benson. They were over the

7:15

moon that the boys were going to be so close by.

7:18

Deborah fondly recollected. So

7:21

many plans were made. Fishing,

7:23

camping, beach, birthday parties,

7:25

weekend parties. I truly

7:27

felt that life was perfect. I

7:30

remember actually saying that out loud, that

7:33

life is finally perfect. It

7:38

was a warm morning in Melrose on the 26th

7:40

of August 2020. With

7:44

summer drawing to a close, Robert and

7:46

Tatum had been eagerly anticipating their upcoming

7:48

adventure, starting at a

7:50

new school and making new friends. Though

7:54

they miss their old friends from Polk County, their

7:57

easygoing and friendly nature reassured everyone

8:00

that they would quickly find their place. Sarah,

8:03

their mother, was the first to rise that

8:06

day. As

8:08

she stirred from sleep and rubbed her eyes, she

8:11

was struck by the unusual stillness in

8:13

their usually bustling home. It was

8:16

almost 10am, yet the

8:18

house remained eerily quiet, a

8:21

stark contrast to the lively morning

8:23

she was accustomed to. Chad was

8:25

away on business, working as

8:27

a long-haul truck driver, and Landon was

8:30

asleep peacefully beside her. But

8:32

when she woke most morning, she could hear Tatum

8:34

and Robert, either playing video

8:36

games or watching television. Sarah

8:39

rose from her bed and made her way to the

8:41

den. As she

8:44

entered, her eyes were immediately drawn

8:46

to a blanket on the floor close to the

8:48

pool table, drenched in blood. I

8:51

started seeing blood on the ground on the

8:54

other side of the pool table. So then

8:57

I started getting closer and closer and seeing more blood,

8:59

and I ripped off my

9:01

son's blanket because I thought it was like he was

9:03

a he was a picker on scabs. I

9:06

didn't realize how much blood it was at the time because I

9:08

just opened my eyes, but when I ripped

9:10

off the blanket, that's I knew

9:12

it was everywhere. It was covered in

9:14

blood. I

9:17

did try to flip him, see

9:20

where the blood was coming from. His

9:25

head at the time was facing one way, and I know

9:27

I faced him the other way, trying to feel for a

9:29

pulse, which I never did. Panic

9:31

surged through Sarah as she rushed at the

9:33

blanket, yanking it up to reveal

9:35

the lifeless body of 12-year-old Tatum. His

9:39

small frame was soaked in blood, and

9:42

his throat was nearly severed by multiple

9:44

deep cuts. He was laying

9:46

on his tummy with his face facing the

9:48

wall. You could

9:50

tell that his throat was severed completely

9:52

through almost to

9:55

the bone because that's when I realized there

9:57

was there was no pulse. Sarah's

9:59

scream pierced the morning stillness as she called

10:02

out for Robert to call police, but

10:04

the house remained eerily silent. Her

10:07

heart pounded in her chest as she raced

10:10

to the living room as dread clawed at

10:12

her insides. There,

10:15

her eyes fell upon another bloodstained

10:17

blanket on the floor. With

10:20

trembling hands, she lifted it

10:22

up. I can remember his

10:25

head flipped forward and then it just

10:27

banged back against the wall. And

10:31

he was the same thing

10:34

soaked in blood

10:36

and I didn't get a good look at

10:39

what his injuries looked like, but

10:41

I did as far as Tayden's. Sarah

10:44

grabbed London and sped over to her father's

10:46

home just on the road. She

10:49

burst in frantic and hysterical, screaming

10:51

that she believed her children were dead

10:53

and begging for someone to call 911.

10:56

The boy's grandmother, Deborah, took one look

10:58

at Sarah and knew that something was

11:01

terribly wrong. She said,

11:03

Debbie, Debbie, call 911. I

11:06

think my kids are dead. She was terrified and

11:08

panicked and

11:11

I remember her nightgown was ripped and then

11:14

her little Landon came running behind her.

11:18

What did you think? What did you do? I didn't

11:20

believe her. I was

11:22

completely confused. What do you mean your kids are

11:25

dead? Both of them how? There was a lot

11:27

of questions and then she said, wake

11:29

up. Or my husband,

11:31

my little son, he goes, I'll go get dad. And

11:33

it was just a lot of panic. And I got

11:36

Deborah quickly jumped into her car, called her

11:38

husband, Andrew, and dialed 911 as she drove

11:41

back to the family's home. She

11:44

hoped against hope that Sarah was mistaken. But

11:47

as she cautiously stepped inside, it

11:50

became heartbreakingly clear that Sarah's worst

11:52

fears were true. We

11:54

went straight to the pool room and I saw Tayton and

11:59

he was. laying face

12:01

down on the ground and I knew

12:03

immediately when I saw him. And

12:06

I told the operator, I said, yes, he

12:08

is dead. But

12:11

I still tried to shake him

12:13

and call his name, even though

12:15

I just knew. And so I

12:17

was just shaking and grabbing

12:19

at him and saying, Tayton,

12:21

Tayton, but I just saw blood

12:23

and I just, thinking

12:25

of Tayton. And then it occurred to

12:28

me, Robert, where is Robert? So I

12:31

looked around and started to walk up

12:33

the steps and then I seen Robert's

12:36

feet and they were just whiter,

12:39

the whitest feet I'd ever seen. So I walked

12:41

up a few more steps and I

12:44

saw his face. And

12:47

I saw his face was just pure

12:49

white and his lips were bluish

12:52

purple and blood was everywhere and

12:55

I took a step back because I

12:57

just was in disbelief. It didn't make sense, I

12:59

didn't know and I

13:01

said, Robert's dead too or said

13:04

something like that and now when one operator told me

13:06

to leave the house. Both Tayton

13:08

and Robert lay lifeless. Their

13:10

throats slashed with such force the bone

13:12

was visible. Just

13:15

as Deborah stumbled back outside, Andrew

13:17

pulled up. She told

13:19

him that Tayton and Robert were dead. Overcome

13:22

with grief, he screamed and pushed

13:24

past her into the house, only

13:26

to confront the same horrific scene that

13:29

had shattered their lives moments before. Detectives

13:32

arrived at the scene 12 minutes after the 911 call

13:34

came in. Much

13:37

like those before them, they entered

13:39

the home only to confirm that

13:41

both Tayton and Robert were dead

13:44

and far beyond resuscitation efforts. Tayton

13:46

and Robert's bodies were transported to

13:48

the medical examiner's office, where

13:51

the pathologist determined the brutal

13:53

nature. their

14:00

deaths. Both boys had

14:02

been slashed and stabbed with a knife on their

14:04

throat, and then bludgeoned across the head

14:06

with a hammer. Tatum's

14:08

throat had been slashed multiple times, with

14:11

the killer attempting to saw through his

14:13

neck. The large

14:15

escaping wound to his neck was three

14:18

to five centimetres wide by five centimetres

14:20

deep. His head also

14:22

had evidence of bludgeoning from a hammer. Robert's

14:26

throat was slashed from end to end, nearly

14:29

decapitating him. The

14:32

pathologist Dr. Fuller explained. So

14:35

it is my

14:37

opinion that these

14:39

satellite incisolans

14:43

indicate that this injury

14:46

did not happen with one pull of the

14:48

blade. There

14:50

were additional injuries to his head, causing him

14:52

to be cut in and

14:54

then there was movement back and forth, and

14:57

as it comes up, it creates these

14:59

satellite injuries. So this

15:01

does represent

15:12

multiple lateral movements of

15:14

the blade. There

15:17

were additional injuries to his head, caused

15:19

by the hammer, including a depressed skull

15:21

fracture. That

15:48

would not happen if the heart wasn't beating. Also

15:51

the neck, the blood loss, the hemorrhage

15:53

around that, the heart had to be

15:55

beating during all these events, but that

15:57

does not mean they're conscious. Back

16:00

at the crime scene, investigators meticulously searched

16:02

the home. They found

16:05

blood stains that indicated that Taitan had

16:07

managed to crawl away before succumbing to

16:09

his injuries. This

16:12

showed a very disturbing reality. Taitan

16:15

was alive as his throat was slashed down

16:17

to the bone, and alive long enough for

16:20

him to crawl away. During

16:22

their search, investigators found a hammer and a

16:24

fillet knife wrapped in a toil both stained

16:27

with blood under a sink in the game

16:29

room. Over at

16:31

the crime lab, Taitan's blood was found on the

16:33

hammer and knife, while Robert's blood was

16:35

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and conditions apply. As

17:45

news of the double murder spread across Florida,

17:47

the sheriff's office released a statement which read,

17:50

An autopsy concluded today confirmed the

17:53

deaths as homicides. This

17:55

is still a very active investigation.

18:00

said that Robert and Tatum's parents

18:02

weren't considered suspects and that

18:04

their father wasn't home at the time. Chad

18:07

had worked as a long-distance truck driver. The

18:11

community was truly horrified by the brutal details

18:13

of the boy's deaths. Robert

18:17

and Tatum were innocent children and

18:19

they had met a violent and tragic end. In

18:23

their shock and sorrow, the community rallied desperately

18:25

to support the family as

18:27

they navigated their profound grief. Neighbours

18:31

and friends thought of ways to help offering

18:33

condolences and assistance in any way they could.

18:37

A GoFundMe was set up and within less

18:40

than a day it reached its target of $8,000.

18:44

But over the next couple of days that swelled to more

18:46

than $22,000. The

18:49

GoFundMe read in part, Tatum

18:52

and Robert were good kids who were loved

18:54

by everyone. They loved playing

18:56

video games, swimming and hanging out with

18:58

their family. They had

19:00

dreams and goals for their life that they

19:02

will never be able to fulfill. As

19:05

part of the investigation, detectives

19:07

meticulously interviewed everybody in the

19:09

family seeking to uncover whether

19:12

anyone harboured any ill intentions.

19:15

Part of the investigation also focused on

19:17

how the murders were committed without anybody

19:19

hearing a single thing. Detectives

19:23

did an experiment to figure this out. They

19:26

all stood in different parts of the house and called

19:28

to one another, made noise and banged on the walls. Sure enough because

19:30

of the layout of the home,

19:33

they couldn't hear each other through the

19:36

walls. The

19:39

process of looking into the family,

19:41

their friends and any acquaintances, was thorough

19:44

and tense, each question peeling

19:46

back layers of their lives. But

19:49

it wasn't long before a suspect emerged from the shadows.

19:54

Sarah told detectives that after they moved to Melbourne, Rose,

20:00

she allowed her sister, Cindy,

20:03

Cindy's boyfriend Mark Wilson Jr. and

20:05

their baby girl Caitlin to

20:07

live in an outbuilding on their property.

20:10

Prior to the move, Cindy, Wilson

20:13

and Caitlin had intermittently stayed with

20:15

Sarah's family for several years. Cindy

20:30

and her family had been living in a place with no power and infested

20:32

with fleas. About

20:59

five days before the murder, Sarah let them move

21:01

in as they had no other place to stay

21:03

and a young baby to care for. But

21:07

things took a negative turn one afternoon

21:10

when Sarah visited them in the outbuilding.

21:13

She found the couple smoking marijuana in the

21:15

presence of their baby. I

21:17

actually said get

21:20

your stuff together and then I

21:22

told them to get in the car which they did. We

21:25

did leave there without the baby being in a

21:27

car seat at that time. And

21:30

then I said if I can't

21:33

remember my exact words but it

21:36

was to the lines of if

21:38

you guys can't get your shit together then I'm

21:40

gonna have no choice but to turn you you

21:42

know to turn it over to TCF to get

21:44

other people involved in helping. But they agreed to

21:47

move to my house so none of that was

21:49

a big issue. I mean it was

21:51

an issue if they didn't want to come and stay but

21:53

they wanted to come and stay. Sarah

21:55

said to detectives that she didn't notice

21:57

anything unusual about her sister or Wilson's

22:00

demeanor the night before the murders.

22:04

However, she did witness something strange. At the

22:06

time, Sarah didn't think much of it. But

22:08

in hindsight, it set off alarm bells. Detectives

22:32

began focusing on Wilson as a

22:34

person of interest. It

22:36

wouldn't be long before compelling evidence

22:38

emerged. The

22:45

day after the murders, Kristie Adkins

22:47

went to the Baker household to Comfort

22:49

Chad and Sarah. She

22:52

was the mother of Mark Wilson Jr. As

22:55

she left, Wilson and his girlfriend accompanied her

22:57

to spend the night at her place, about

23:00

15 miles away. After

23:02

the turmoil of the day, everybody

23:04

went straight to bed. The

23:07

following morning, Wilson's girlfriend joined Kristie in

23:09

the kitchen and casually remarked, Mark

23:12

needs to cooperate. The

23:15

possibility that her son could have been

23:17

involved in such a horrific crime had

23:19

never crossed Kristie's mind. But

23:22

it was no secret that detectives had

23:24

already considered him a person of interest.

23:28

With the sinking feelings, she went into the

23:30

bedroom where Wilson was sleeping and

23:32

urged him to speak with detectives and take

23:35

a polygraph test to clear his name. Wilson

23:38

groggily rolled over and began getting out of

23:40

bed to put his pants on. He

23:43

then responded, Mom, I

23:45

can't do that. Kristie

23:48

was stunned, uncertain of his meaning.

23:51

She asked, Why Mark? Did

23:53

you hurt those babies? Looking

23:56

down at the floor, he quietly

23:58

replied. Yes, mum.

24:01

I did it." Horrified,

24:03

Kristy felt her world shatter. She

24:07

knew what she had to do. Without

24:09

revealing her intentions to her son, she

24:11

left immediately and went directly to the

24:14

sheriff's office. Kristy

24:16

sat down with the detectives and recounted exactly

24:18

what her son had said. Determined

24:22

to help the investigation, she

24:24

agreed to wear recording equipment to

24:27

try and elicit a detailed confession from her

24:29

son. Kristy

24:31

picked up Wilson and drove around

24:33

Putnam County, with detectives following close

24:36

behind. She

24:38

pleaded with her son to explain what had happened.

24:41

On the recording, her voice trembled as

24:43

she said, "'I need an answer.

24:46

I need to know why. Why

24:48

did this happen? You're my child.

24:50

You're my son. Why can't you

24:53

tell me?'" Wilson

24:55

then quietly responded that

24:57

he was responsible for the murders. Its

25:01

mother then demanded, "'For my

25:03

own piece of fucking mind, what flipped

25:05

your mind to make you hurt them?'" What

25:09

Wilson said next shook Kristy to

25:12

her very core. He

25:15

replied, "'Cindy did.

25:17

And my daughter.'" According

25:20

to Wilson, he thought that Cindy was meant

25:22

to kill Sarah and Landon while he was

25:25

killing Robert and Tatum. He

25:27

said, "'Cindy was supposed to

25:30

do the first half.'" Referring

25:32

to Sarah and Landon. Kristy

25:35

expressed anger and bewilderment, replying to

25:37

her son, "'This is

25:39

not real. This is not real. You're

25:42

my son. You're my baby.'" However,

25:45

he then said that he only believed this, and

25:48

that Cindy hadn't actually said anything to

25:50

him about the murders or wanting to

25:53

kill Sarah and Landon. He

25:56

said that there was something in his head compelling

25:58

him. After

26:04

making the confession, Wilson stopped responding to

26:06

his mother. Detectives

26:09

who were trailing close behind decided to pull

26:11

them over, and they arrested Wilson

26:13

then and there. He

26:16

was transported to the police station, where he

26:18

was asked about the murders of Tatum and

26:20

Robert, unaware his mother had

26:22

covertly recorded him. At

26:25

first he expressed surprise, telling

26:28

the detectives, That's crazy,

26:31

those boys were like family to me. He

26:33

continued to deny any involvement in the murders,

26:37

but something within him changed when

26:39

detectives showed him photographs of Tatum

26:41

and Robert's mutilated bodies. Wilson

26:45

looked horrified. He covered

26:47

his face with his hands and sobbed, Oh

26:50

my god, oh my god, oh my

26:52

god. The

26:54

detectives then played audio of Wilson's

26:57

conversation with his mother, and eventually

26:59

he broke down and admitted to killing Tatum and

27:02

Robert. Wilson

27:04

told detectives that on the morning of the murders,

27:06

he was high on methamphetamine. He said

27:10

that he'd been awake taking the drug for the past

27:12

three days. Wilson

27:15

said he felt that the Baker family

27:17

had been tearing his family apart, and

27:19

added that Cindy fucked with his head. According

27:23

to Wilson he loved the boys, but he

27:26

suspected that they were abusing his daughter, or

27:29

having some kind of a sexual relationship

27:31

with his girlfriend. He

27:33

said, It would be

27:35

like if somebody was making your wife and your daughter

27:37

do shit and hide it from you, and

27:40

keep you walking around. He

27:43

said that this was the motivation behind the murders,

27:46

but then suggested a second

27:48

motivation. He

27:50

said he believed that Sarah and her family were

27:52

coming for him and his family by

27:54

threatening to call the Department of Children and

27:56

Families. Wilson

27:58

told the detectives the way he killed Tatum

28:01

and Robert, he wasn't angry. He

28:04

commented, It's really foggy.

28:06

I wasn't really conscious. He

28:09

described the murders more like a bad dream

28:12

than something that actually happened. He

28:15

stated, I've been thinking

28:17

about it and just psychological

28:19

fucking hell. In

28:22

reference to his girlfriend Cindy and

28:24

her alleged involvement, Wilson said

28:27

that Cindy never actually said anything

28:29

to him about killing anybody. He

28:32

said that he just thought that she wanted the

28:34

boys and Sarah dead, telling

28:36

detectives. She was

28:38

making me feel like it was something that I had to

28:40

do, you know, but without saying it.

28:44

After Wilson was arrested, detectives looked into

28:46

the claims he had made during his

28:48

confession. He said that Robert and Tatum

28:50

could have been abusing his daughter or

28:53

could have been having some kind of relationship with

28:55

his girlfriend. However,

28:57

detectives couldn't find a single shred of evidence

29:00

to back these claims up. Wilson

29:02

had also said to detectives he believed that

29:05

Cindy was going to kill Sarah and Landon,

29:08

but once more, there was no evidence

29:10

to corroborate this. The

29:12

detectives next searched the art building where Wilson

29:14

had been living with his family. They

29:17

came across a letter he had written, and it

29:19

was stated the morning of the murders. In

29:22

the letter, Wilson expressed love for Cindy

29:25

and their daughter, but also

29:27

mentioned getting frustrated and coming

29:29

across as angry or confrontational.

29:32

He spoke about their daughter in

29:34

the letter, describing her as extraordinary

29:37

and our greatest accomplishment. He

29:39

then added, I can't lose you

29:41

to. Please promise you will always

29:43

know that her father is a soldier and

29:46

that he loved you from day one and will always

29:48

love you both until the end of time. After

29:51

Wilson was arrested, he provided a

29:53

DNA sample. When

29:56

this was compared to the DNA found on the knife

29:58

at the crime scene, it came back as a match.

30:01

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30:04

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30:06

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for details. After

31:13

announcing the arrest of Wilson, state

31:16

attorney R.J. Larissa announced, I

31:19

can tell you I've been working in the

31:21

criminal justice system since 1980, and these

31:23

are some of the most brutal murders that I've ever

31:25

heard of. He attacked those

31:27

two kids without mercy. He

31:30

said that the Baker family had done a lot

31:32

to help Wilson out, and this was how he

31:34

repaid them. The

31:37

state attorney also said that while he believed

31:39

the murders warranted the death penalty, he

31:41

needed to review the case and speak with the family.

31:44

The fact that the killer had been someone that the

31:47

family welcomed into their home wasn't

31:49

lost on the community. It

31:52

struck fear into the hearts of parents, especially

31:55

parents who have offered a helping harm to

31:57

a family member in need. Colby

32:00

Baker, one of the boy's older brothers, touched

32:02

on this when he posted on Facebook. It

32:06

be the people that you let live with you, the people

32:08

you called family, the ones that

32:10

acted as if they cared that will really

32:12

fuck your whole life up. I

32:15

really hope you rot in there, and I

32:17

hope you get the maximum sentence possible,

32:19

you sick fuck. Wilson

32:23

was subsequently charged with two counts of

32:25

first-degree murder and was ordered to

32:27

be held without bond in the Putnam County Jail. During

32:31

his court hearing via video link, he asked

32:33

for a public defender instead of a personal

32:35

lawyer. This request

32:37

was approved by Judge Howard McGillan. After

32:42

speaking with the family and looking at the facts of

32:44

the case, in October it was announced that the death

32:46

penalty was going to be sought against Wilson. He

32:50

was further charged with one count of

32:52

burglary with battery and burglary while armed.

32:55

State Attorney Larissa said that the factors

32:57

in deciding the death penalty was that

32:59

the murders were especially heinous, atrocious, and

33:02

cruel. He further

33:04

said that they believed they were committed

33:06

in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner.

33:09

Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach commented

33:11

that his thoughts remained with the

33:14

family and said that the crime scene

33:16

was one of the worst he had ever seen in his

33:18

entire life. He

33:20

stated, We're confident that

33:22

with hard work of our deputy

33:24

investigators, victim's advocate, and the State

33:27

Attorney's office, that we will provide

33:29

justice for Robert and Tatum and

33:31

provide closure for the family. The

33:34

trial was pushed back several times because of

33:36

the COVID pandemic. But

33:39

in the meantime, kids returned to the

33:41

Megasports Camp at Living Hope Church in

33:43

Florahome. Tatum and

33:45

Robert had been at the camp in 2019, which had been led by

33:48

pastors Dave and Tommy Speddon for

33:50

more than 15 years. Each

33:53

newcomer was given a blue and orange wristband

33:56

in memory of Tatum and Robert. recollected.

34:01

Taitan had celebrated his 13th

34:03

birthday one of the days of the camp

34:05

and we brought him to the platform to sing

34:07

Happy Birthday to him. Their

34:09

funeral was held at the church and we

34:11

wanted to do something special this year. In

34:15

their memory, coaches at the camp were asked to pick

34:17

a camper of the week award based

34:19

on character and participation. Each

34:23

camper was then presented with a medal by

34:25

Taitan and Robert's father, Chad. By

34:30

the 12th of October 2022, the

34:32

jury was selected and seated and

34:34

opening statements were ready to begin.

34:37

Prosecutor Jennifer Dutton was the first

34:39

to take the floor and she said

34:41

to the jury that Wilson had carried

34:44

out a premeditated attack against the Baker

34:46

brothers. The defendant in

34:48

Cindy brought up early

34:50

around 6.30am, dark

34:53

outside and they were to the circle K. to

34:57

get donuts and coffee. They

35:01

return back to the Baker home and

35:04

Cindy goes into their outbuilding

35:07

department to feed her products

35:10

and you will learn that it was at that time

35:12

that the defendant obtained

35:15

a hammer from

35:17

one of the buildings on the property. She armed

35:20

himself with his fillet

35:23

knife and

35:25

he entered the Baker's home with

35:28

the intent to kill those boys.

35:32

The boys were sleeping when they were attacked.

35:35

The defendant bashed their heads

35:37

in with a hammer

35:41

multiple times and just

35:43

to make sure they

35:46

were dead, he later told

35:48

detectives, he also slid

35:50

their friends. During

35:54

defense attorney Courtney Davidson's opening

35:56

statements, she didn't dispute

35:58

that Wilson the brothers. However,

36:02

she argued that his actions don't match

36:04

the charges against him. She

36:07

said to the jury, This is a

36:09

tough case, a very tough case,

36:12

a case where Mark shows remorse and

36:14

takes accountability, but it

36:16

is not a case of first-degree premeditated

36:18

murder. The testimony

36:20

got underway with Taityn and Robert's

36:22

mother, Sarah, describing the horrific moment

36:24

she found them dead. She

36:27

told the jury that after moving into their new

36:29

home, they had struggled to get Wi-Fi throughout the

36:32

property. As a

36:34

result, the boys often stayed in the living room so

36:36

that they could use their cell phones before

36:39

bed. So in the meantime, my children slept

36:41

in different areas wherever their phone

36:44

would get service, so they could

36:46

watch YouTube or their

36:48

video game streaming or whatever

36:50

they normally did to keep

36:52

them occupied. One always slept

36:55

here, one always got service over here in

36:57

this corner. Do you remember who was always

36:59

in which room? Yes, Taityn was always in

37:01

this room, the game room, and Robert was

37:04

always in the living room. She

37:06

recollected the gruesome discoveries that morning,

37:08

telling the jury, In

37:10

that moment, I started screaming at

37:13

the top of my lungs. The

37:15

boys' grandmother, Deborah, was the next witness,

37:18

and she described Sarah coming to her home

37:20

in a state of hysteria, screaming

37:22

that somebody had killed the boys. She

37:26

said that at first she didn't believe Sarah, but

37:29

it soon became all too clear

37:31

that she was telling the truth

37:33

once she entered the family's home.

37:35

She recollected, I

37:37

was shaking and grabbing him, saying,

37:39

Taityn, Taityn. After

37:41

Deborah's testimony, the prosecution presented the hammer and

37:44

knife that was used during the murders. Sarah

37:47

had testified that she saw Wilson sharpening

37:49

the knife the night beforehand. The

37:53

jury also got to hear the tape recording that

37:55

Wilson's mother, Christie, had made. Christie

37:58

described going to detect with what her son had

38:00

told her because it was the right thing to

38:03

do. Wilson's defence

38:05

team opted out of calling any

38:07

witnesses. They

38:09

provided no defence other than to say

38:11

that Wilson's crimes failed to constitute a

38:13

first-degree murder. During

38:16

their closing arguments, defence attorney Brian Smith

38:18

said that mediation on a crime must

38:20

be long enough to allow for reflection.

38:24

He argued that in the recording of Wilson's

38:26

confession, he didn't appear to have thought about

38:28

the murders at all before he committed them.

38:32

He stated, Reflection isn't

38:34

what we saw in that interview. Where's

38:36

the reflection? During

38:39

prosecutor Jason Lewis's closing arguments,

38:42

he refuted this claim. He

38:45

argued that Wilson displayed numerous instances

38:47

of reflection when he slashed

38:49

and bludgeoned Tatum and Robert dozens of times.

38:52

He also said that Wilson displayed reflection when

38:54

he left the outbuilding, entered the

38:57

boy's home, retrieved a hammer and a fillet

38:59

knife, and attacked the boys in two separate

39:01

rooms. He said

39:03

to the jury, This is

39:05

not a case where the evidence is difficult. This

39:08

is a case where the evidence is straightforward,

39:11

and it's a mountain of evidence. Prosecutor

39:14

Jennifer Dunton also made some comments

39:16

during her closing arguments. She

39:19

pointed to the note that Wilson had written to

39:21

his girlfriend, asking her to remember

39:23

him well and tell their daughter about who

39:25

he was. Dunton said

39:27

that this letter proved Wilson planned on committing

39:30

the murders. She

39:32

said to the jury, Why would

39:34

he need to write this kind of note? There

39:36

was no evidence that they were in danger of breaking up.

39:40

It's very clear, now that the trial and

39:42

evidence is over, that the

39:44

defendant thought about killing these boys. Family

39:47

members turned away and covered their

39:49

eyes as Dunton presented photographs of

39:51

Tatum and Robert's autopsies. She

39:54

then stated, Every blow

39:56

takes force, and there's a chance to

39:58

stop. every step of

40:00

the way there's opportunities to stop and

40:02

reflect, realise what you're doing

40:05

and not continue. It

40:07

was now up to the jury to determine

40:09

Wilson's fate. They

40:11

deliberated for just two hours and fifteen minutes

40:14

before they returned with the verdict. They

40:17

found Mark Wilson Jr guilty of

40:19

first-degree murder, as well as guilty

40:21

of committing armed burglary and burglary

40:23

with assault or robbery. As

40:27

the verdict was announced, Wilson looked to the ground,

40:30

but somebody from within the public gallery

40:32

let out a joyful yell of excitement.

40:36

Outside of court, Sarah said she was grateful

40:38

for the jury's decision and hoped

40:41

that Wilson received the death penalty at

40:43

the upcoming sentencing. The

40:49

penalty phase of the murder trial began on the

40:51

15th of October. While

40:53

Wilson's defence team were seeking a live

40:56

sentence, the prosecution were hoping

40:58

for a death sentence. Prosecutor

41:01

Jason Lewis underlined the impact of the

41:03

attacks in his opening statements. He

41:07

reminded the jury that the boys had been

41:09

slashed and bludgeoned dozens of times. He

41:12

stated, Robert and Tatum will never

41:14

get to go to high school. They'll

41:16

never go on a first date. They're

41:18

never going to drive a car. They're

41:20

never going to go to college. They're

41:23

dead. And they're dead because

41:25

this man sitting right here brutally and

41:27

viciously killed them. He

41:30

called on the jury of 12 women to assign

41:32

Wilson the death penalty, referring to

41:34

it as the only fair and just sentence

41:36

in this case. During

41:39

defence attorney Rosemary Peoples' opening statements,

41:42

she made no attempt to excuse what

41:45

Wilson had done. Instead, she asked the

41:47

jury to consider his background and broken

41:49

mind. She said to

41:51

the jury, Tears and sorrow

41:54

will never undo Wilson's actions. And

41:56

for that, he must be punished. We're

41:58

not going to ask you to forgive mark. We're

42:01

not going to ask you to like mark. We're

42:03

going to ask for your compassion and

42:05

your understanding. We're going to

42:07

ask for your mercy." Testimony

42:10

was then presented about Wilson's

42:12

upbringing. Pamela Wilson,

42:14

his aunt on his father's side,

42:17

said that while she came from a

42:19

highly educated family, at least one member

42:21

had ongoing problems with substance abuse, alcohol

42:24

and drugs. She

42:26

further said that this person had gone to

42:28

prison for five years for a sex crime.

42:32

Pamela told the jury that she once witnessed her

42:34

father hit Wilson in the face so that he

42:36

could take his seat. Pamela

42:38

referred to this as abuse, but

42:41

when she was cross examined by prosecutor

42:43

Lewis, she said, it

42:45

was harsh discipline. Pamela

42:47

said she never saw any signs of trauma

42:50

or bruising on her nephew that would indicate

42:52

he was being abused. Wilson's

42:54

mother, Christie, then described to the

42:57

court how his father, Mark, was

42:59

abusive towards her. The

43:02

abuse had begun when she was eight and a

43:04

half months pregnant with her son. She

43:07

recalled an incident where he had been drinking

43:09

with friends in their bedroom until 3am and

43:11

she asked him to leave so that she

43:13

could sleep. When they

43:15

did, Mark flew into a rage and threw

43:17

her around the room. He

43:20

spat on Christie, poured beer on her and

43:22

then threatened her with a broken glass. He

43:26

told her, if you ever leave

43:28

me, I will kill you. She

43:31

said that this set the basis for the rest

43:33

of their relationship. Christie

43:36

recalled countless other experiences just like

43:38

this one, where Mark choked her

43:40

and even placed their dog in the

43:42

oven and switched it on. However, despite

43:44

his violence towards her, Christie said that

43:46

she never saw Mark abuse their son.

43:50

She eventually left Mark and gained joint

43:53

custody over Wilson, but said

43:55

that Mark only ever looked after Wilson because he

43:57

knew that it upset her. She

44:00

recollected. He was not going

44:02

to let me take Mark. It was

44:04

the only thing Mark Sr knew that I loved

44:07

and cared about. But

44:09

then one day Mark vanished for several

44:11

years and took Wilson with him out

44:14

of state in violation of their custody

44:16

agreement. She only

44:18

saw her son again after Mark abandoned

44:20

him in Oklahoma. The

44:23

jury then got to hear from toxicologist

44:25

Susan Scolley Danziger, who had spoken with

44:27

Wilson about his history of substance abuse.

44:30

Wilson had started smoking marijuana when he was

44:33

just 10 years old, and had

44:35

then begun using crack cocaine when he was 12. Apparently

44:39

taking drugs was a family event in

44:42

Wilson's childhood, as the

44:44

toxicologist testified. It

44:46

was like family all sitting around together smoking

44:48

a bowl of marijuana. That

44:50

was sort of the daily habit. Wilson

44:53

was dependent on methamphetamine and alcohol at

44:56

various points, and at times he would

44:58

smoke crack cocaine four or five times

45:00

per day. Scolley

45:02

Danziger said to the jury that regular use

45:05

of such drugs can have lasting effects on

45:07

the brain. According

45:09

to several experts, the toxic home environment that Wilson

45:11

grew up in caused permanent

45:13

changes to his brain. Dr.

45:17

Stephen Nelson said that fight or flight

45:19

hormones can enter a baby while a

45:21

mother is pregnant and can affect brain

45:23

development. He

45:25

said that growing up surrounded by abuse can have

45:27

that same impact, even if the

45:29

child is not the one being abused. Dr.

45:32

Nelson told the jury that scans

45:35

showed abnormalities in parts of Wilson's

45:37

brain associated with memory, stress response

45:39

and impulse control. During

45:42

Dr. Nelson's assessment of Wilson, he was

45:44

told of the challenges he faced while such

45:47

as whether he was going to have enough to eat

45:49

or have clothes to wear. He

45:52

testified. His fight or

45:54

flight instinct essentially had to be on all

45:56

the time. He concluded

45:59

the decades of drug use were not the only ones. drug use

46:01

had taken its toll on Wilson, asked

46:03

its sleep deprivation immediately before the

46:05

murders. He said

46:07

to the court, "'All of these

46:09

factors combined made it such that at

46:11

that moment he was unable to make

46:13

proper decisions. It appeared

46:16

to him at that time to be the best

46:18

decision.'" Wilson had

46:20

also been analysed by licensed

46:22

psychologist Michael Quinones, who diagnosed

46:24

him with numerous adverse childhood

46:26

experiences as well as

46:28

symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. He

46:31

said that at least once a

46:33

day, Wilson experienced intrusive memories of

46:35

an incident where his father had

46:37

put a gun to a woman's head. He

46:40

said that these and other factors

46:42

most likely harmed Wilson's social skills

46:44

and brain development, telling the

46:47

courtroom, "'Chronic stress

46:49

has a debilitating impact on an

46:51

adult's ability to function.'" The

46:55

defence testimony concluded with a

46:57

brief interview with Wilson's 22-year-old

46:59

sister, Kayla Woodard. She

47:03

said that growing up, Wilson was somebody that people looked

47:05

up to. She described

47:07

how when she was nervous for her first day

47:09

of school, her brother walked her

47:11

to the classroom and supported her. Hello,

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and conditions. 18+. The

48:19

prosecution began their arguments and

48:22

called on Dr. Tonya Werner. She

48:25

said that while Wilson claimed he was high on

48:28

methamphetamine at the time of the murders, she

48:30

found no evidence to support this. She

48:34

said that in her experience, when people have

48:36

recently taken a large amount of meth, they

48:39

typically appear hyper, agitated,

48:41

paranoid or aggressive. Even

48:44

with medication, it takes a couple of days for that to

48:47

clear up. But

48:49

in contrast, after the murders, she

48:51

found Wilson clear and not disorganised

48:53

or psychotic. She

48:56

also found no issues with his cognitive

48:58

function or memory, except for when

49:01

she asked him about the actual murders. Forensic

49:05

psychologist Dr. William Meadows agreed with

49:07

her assessment. He

49:09

said that Wilson's claims were inconsistent with

49:11

real memory problems telling the jury, "...Amnesia

49:15

is not going to be selective for the

49:17

most negative parts of your case. It's

49:20

certainly not going to start when you kill

49:22

somebody, then stop when you go to

49:24

a medical centre, then start again when

49:26

you provide a confession to your mother,

49:28

then start again when you lie to

49:31

the police, and that's what I

49:33

observed." He

49:35

said that Wilson appeared to be

49:37

malingering or faking his memory problems.

49:40

The courtroom then fell into a

49:42

hushed silence as victim impact statements

49:44

began. Sarah's

49:47

voice was tight with emotion, as she said.

49:50

Every day I wake up. I

49:53

have to get through another day, and I'm faced

49:55

with the pain, the hurt that my family and

49:57

I now have to face for the rest of

49:59

my life. our time in this world. As

50:02

this trial ends and the world continues to spin,

50:04

I will still be

50:07

left here staring at two teddy bears,

50:10

two stuffed bears that contain the ashes of

50:12

my own children. That

50:14

is all that I have left in this world

50:16

of my wonderful boys." People

50:19

wept in the public gallery, as Sarah

50:21

described her boys. She

50:24

said that Robert was strong-willed,

50:26

hard-headed, and incredibly smart. She

50:29

said that if he actually had been given the chance,

50:32

he would have made the world a better place.

50:36

As for Tatum, Sarah said his

50:38

smile was so big and he was always smiling

50:40

no matter what was going on. She

50:43

commented, everywhere he went

50:45

he made friends. The

50:48

boys' father Chad also took to the witness

50:50

stand to describe them. He

50:52

touched on Tatum's passion for cooking

50:55

and Robert's love of baseball. Chad

50:58

was out of town when Wilson killed his boys,

51:01

and he recalled losing to Robert in a game

51:03

of pool just before he left. His

51:06

voice quivered with emotion as he said, "'Robert

51:09

told me he was going to kick my butt when I

51:11

got home. I told him, we

51:14

will see about that and that he'd better

51:16

practice.'" Deborah,

51:18

the boy's grandmother, recollected how she went

51:20

to the emergency room twice in the

51:23

wake of the murders because

51:25

she felt like her heart was being

51:27

physically crushed. Each time

51:29

she was sent home with a diagnosis of grief.

51:32

The boy's cousin Kelly Coco described

51:35

how each holiday felt like a punch in

51:37

the gut because it was a

51:39

memory they couldn't create together. She

51:42

said, "'I'm filled with grief and

51:44

depression. Some days I still

51:46

can't get out of bed.' Colton,

51:49

the boy's oldest brother, read aloud

51:51

a letter that had been written

51:53

by the boy's best friend, Mark

51:55

McCumber Jr. He

51:58

said, "'Let's just say that' this,

52:01

losing Robert and Tatum Baker, I

52:03

lost me. Let me tell

52:05

you how I no longer play sports, because

52:07

it's what we did together. I

52:10

no longer go fishing, and I

52:12

love fishing, but when I go, I

52:14

think of the boys so much, and

52:16

how much they loved fishing." Mark's

52:19

statement continued, with him saying he looked at

52:21

the wall each day, and reminded

52:23

himself that while Tatum and Robert might not

52:26

be there in person, they're always

52:28

there in his heart. After

52:31

four days of testimony, closing arguments

52:33

were presented. Prosecutor

52:36

Dutton said that Tatum had defensive

52:38

injuries to his hands. She

52:41

said this showed that he tried to defend himself

52:43

as his throat was slashed. She

52:46

said after this, Wilson bludgeoned him

52:48

over the head with a hammer. She

52:52

stated, it was completely

52:54

unnecessary, caused a hideous amount

52:56

of pain, showed a complete

52:58

indifference to the suffering of another human

53:00

being. The prosecutor

53:02

said that even when Wilson admitted to the

53:05

murders, he failed to

53:07

provide meaningful details or help detectives

53:09

understand his motive. Defense

53:12

attorney Peeples, in contrast, argued

53:15

that he gave so little information simply

53:17

because his brain didn't function properly. The

53:20

jury then went off to deliberate Wilson's

53:22

fate. It

53:24

took them less than an hour to decide

53:26

that Mark Wilson, Jr. deserved to

53:28

die for the gruesome murders of Tatum

53:30

and Robert Baker. But

53:32

the decision on whether or not that would be carried out

53:35

was up to the judge, and he

53:37

needed time to think it over. After

53:40

the verdict, the family spoke with the media. Though

53:43

relieved that the ordeal was finally over, lingering

53:46

questions haunted them. No

53:49

one could fathom what had caused Wilson to snap

53:51

and kill the boys. Sarah

53:54

even mentioned that Wilson had been on good terms

53:56

with Tatum and Robert, leading up to the murders.

54:00

He had recently taken them fishing and fixed

54:02

up their dirt bike. She

54:05

stated, He was

54:07

just really kids-oriented, more than

54:09

he was towards even my sister or me.

54:13

The family were stunned when they learned from

54:15

testimony that Wilson wasn't even on methamphetamine at

54:17

the time of the murders. Wilson

54:20

had given so many varying descriptions of what

54:23

drove him to carry out the murders, but

54:26

really, none of them made any sense.

54:30

The family returned to court on 28 January 2023. Judge

54:36

Howard McGillen asked Wilson to stand,

54:38

as he stated. It

54:41

remains solidly within the discretion of the

54:43

court to make a final decision. As

54:46

a judge, however, one remains mindful

54:48

that we do not sit to impose

54:51

our own biases and preferences upon the

54:53

parties. That's

54:55

something that's overlooked in today's society. As

54:58

a judge, it's our role to

55:00

be neutral and independent arbiters of facts

55:03

and law. He

55:05

said that the defendant had committed two

55:07

truly horrific murders of innocent children, and

55:10

said that Taiten's death was particularly

55:12

cruel. He said

55:14

that evidence showed Taiten was alive and

55:16

suffering for some time throughout the assault,

55:19

including when his neck was sawed with the blade.

55:22

The judge said that while the mental health and

55:24

childhood trauma that was presented are proven

55:27

in the abstract, the court

55:29

found no proof they were relevant to the

55:31

murders. He then

55:33

officially handed Mark Wilson Jr. a death

55:36

sentence. The defendant is remanded to the

55:38

custody of the Sheriff of Plattin County

55:41

to be held and transmitted to the Department of

55:43

Corrections, and

55:46

to be held there in close custody pending imposition

55:49

of a sentence of death in a manner prescribed

55:51

by law. On such date

55:53

as may be set by proper authority, the defendant shall

55:55

be put to death for this offense.

55:58

Outside of court, the boy's cousin Then

56:00

Kelly Coco said to the media

56:02

that while the family were relieved, there

56:05

would be no real closure. She

56:08

stated, I think

56:10

that's the hardest part. You

56:13

never feel safe, you know. The

56:15

boogeyman is always outside, not

56:18

inside. Well

56:42

besties, that is it for this episode

56:44

of Morbidology. As always, thank you

56:46

so much for listening and I'd like to say

56:48

a massive thank you to my new supporter up

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on Patreon, Kayleeka. You can

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57:15

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includes case files, audio and

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57:35

genuinely do appreciate the feedback and take it all

57:37

on board. Remember to check

57:39

us out at morbidology.com for more information about

57:41

this episode and to read some true crime

57:44

articles. Until next time,

57:46

take care of yourselves, stay safe and have

57:48

an amazing week. It's

57:58

time for today's Lucky Land Horace

58:00

with Victoria Cash. In

58:30

case we haven't met, I'm Dino Colombo. I

58:33

represent people hurt by a truck. It's what we

58:35

do every day. I've

58:37

seen truck accidents devastate families, but we

58:39

can help. Hurt by

58:41

a truck? Call Colombo Law.