Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - MMA fighter charged with killing ex-girlfriend & others, escapes as prison van stops at McDonalds

Episode Date: February 7, 2019

A former mixed-marshal arts fighter accused of at least two murders escaped from a prisoner transport van in Texas when the driver stopped for food at a McDonalds. Cedric Marks is the ex-boyfriend of ...a woman whose remains were found along with those of her male friend inside of a fire pit in Oklahoma. Nancy Grace explores the case with Atlanta juvenile judge and lawyer Ashley Willcott, former detective Steven Lampley, psychologist Caryn Stark, and Crime Stories reporter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an iHeart Podcast. Do you know another parent or expecting parent? Are you wondering what can I give them as a gift? Nancy Grace here. Don't give them another onesie. Don't give them a plastic toy or God forbid a toy gun that's just going to end up in the garage. Give them something that matters and what matters the most is protecting their child. What do you the most is protecting their child. What do you love most in the world?
Starting point is 00:00:27 Your children. What will you do to protect them? Anything. I sat down with the smartest people I know in the world on matters of child safety, finding missing children, fighting back against predators. And what I learned is so important, powerful, and information so critical. I want you to have it. I want them to have it. Go to crimestopshere.com for a five-part series with action information that you can use to change your life and protect your child. Payment starting
Starting point is 00:01:01 $6.99. Give that as a gift, not another onesie. Find out how to protect your child when you're I'd rather have that any day of the week than a plastic toy or, God forbid, a toy gun. Join Justice Nation. Go to crimestopshere.com. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Temple Police now say the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office has positively identified the bodies found in rural Okfuskee County as Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingen. On January 9th, Temple police requested help from Oklahoma State investigators in connection to a homicide investigation after two bodies were found in Oklahoma. The two have been missing since January 4th and their car was found abandoned in Austin a few days later. How did a 28-year-old Texas mother and her friend 32
Starting point is 00:02:17 go all the way from Texas and end up dead in shallow graves in Oklahoma two weeks later. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. How in the world did 28-year-old Jenna Scott and 32-year-old Michael Swearingen end up in Oklahoma in a rural town in one shallow grave? It's 350 miles from where they went missing in Temple, Texas to Ashley Wilcott, judge, lawyer, anchor. You can find her at AshleyWilcott.com. It's my understanding the two have been at Swearingen's home there in Temple, Texas, and that they go missing, we find out that his car, Swearingen's car,
Starting point is 00:03:10 is then found in Austin, Texas. You know, that's 300 miles. Yeah, it is that far away, Nancy. And they don't know why his car was in Austin at this point in time, nor do they know where the two individuals are, what state, what city. And so it's shrouded in mystery. Why was his car in Austin? We also note that they were in a hidden grave, just a shallow grave, hidden. But then the story progresses to Robin Wal walensky crime online.com investigative
Starting point is 00:03:48 reporter author of beautiful life csi by casey anthony trial on amazon as always you start looking at the husband the boyfriend the ex tell me what happened next, Robin. Yeah, that's right. Police start looking at the tentacles. Who is this woman involved with? Who's her friend involved with? And they come up with an ex whose name is Cedric Marks. And they're like, you know, well, where is he? And maybe he has something to do with it. And then it turns out that her home had been burglarized and they start looking at the court records and she you know had paperwork wait whose home was burglarized jenna scott and there's paperwork and there's paperwork uh court documents that show that she was getting a restraining order against him.
Starting point is 00:04:45 So clearly there was a matter between these two. Guys, don't forget the surveillance equipment was missing from the home. I'm learning more about Cedric Marks. I'm understanding that he was a pretty accomplished MMA fighter. To Stephen Lampley, former detective. Stephen, what can you tell me about his career as an MMA fighter? Well, Nancy, his record is about, he's got a lot of wins. I think his record's about 30-30.
Starting point is 00:05:17 He's about 50-50. He's apparently very good at what he does. But in addition to that, he has, from what I understand, a very lengthy criminal record and a very violent past. So this gentleman is obviously a suspect, a very strong suspect in my opinion. Joining us for an interview today is Cedric Marks. Cedric, how are you doing? Fantastic. Good. It's great to have you on. And you're fighting Bobby Volker
Starting point is 00:05:45 for Shamrock FC this weekend. So first of all, tell us about that fight and how you're feeling in preparation for it. You know, I'm training like a Hebrew slave. You know, I always do for all my fights. You know, this guy, I've seen a couple of his fights. You know, I don't know a lot about him. And I don't like to look at a lot of people's fights before, you know, going up against him. I noticed that when I started fighting, we had no U2 back then. So there was just, you know, you get in there with some opponent, whatever they bring, you counter it, and you take care of business from that point. About the only thing that I do know about him is that he can take a lot of damage.
Starting point is 00:06:32 So, you know, I'm trying to work on a few strategies for that okay you are hearing sound of the boyfriend the former boyfriend Cedric Marks you know I'm curious Karen Stark you were bringing up a really important part regarding the surveillance video in Jenna Scott's home. Yes, Nancy, the surveillance video she had installed, I'm sure because she was fearful that this man who was a fighter is missing. So somebody was smart enough to know that they would take that surveillance video, which leads to South Plain. You know, back to Robin Walensky, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Does the name April Pease ring a bell to you? It actually does.
Starting point is 00:07:10 This is a woman that Mr. Marks was involved with 10 years ago. He actually has a son with this woman. And she's been gone. Nowhere to be found 10 years. Okay, wait a minute, wait a minute wait a minute so this is another ex of cedric marks the mixed martial arts professional april peas missing since 2009 vanished while in the midst of a custody battle with cedric markss. You know, I don't get it. Ashley Wilcott, what do women see in a guy that's a professional fighter? You think he's going to change his
Starting point is 00:07:51 personality when he gets home? Yeah, not at all, Nancy. Not only that, I am so greatly disturbed by the fact that there's another ex from 2009 who's missing, vanished, all of these things together. Yes, I'm going to point fingers and say I hope that he is certainly a person of interest. You know, this is what we are learning, that back in July, she, Jenna Scott, applied for a protective order against Cedric Marks. This is, as you heard earlier from Robin, after he broke into her home and threatened her and her daughter. Now, in the arrest affidavit, it claimed, which we have looked at, he was angry at her for ending their relationship when we tried to break it off. When she tried to break it off, he, quote, choked her and threatened her, according to the police affidavit.
Starting point is 00:08:42 He broke into that home August 28. She lived there with her daughter by going in through the garage, and she, Jenna Scott, was alerted when an alarm told her where he was in the house. And that's not uncommon, Stephen Lampley, where your alarm tells you which window or door has been breached. So she knew he came in through the garage, Steve Lampley. Yeah, I mean, the alarm systems are very, very good these days. They can tell you what points they come in. And at some points where you are in the house itself as you progress through the home.
Starting point is 00:09:18 So, yeah, she was very capable of knowing where he was or whoever it was at that given time. So according to this affidavit it's police affidavit correct me if i'm wrong robin walensky when she confronts him about being in her house he grabs the phone she was carrying out of her hand she screams to her nine-year-old daughter that she had told to stay in her bedroom to call 9-1-1 but then he orders her not to call 911 but then he orders her not to call 911 and says to jenna it's your word against mine that he had friends in the police department and if she reported him she'd be in so much danger she'd have to enter the witness protection program i mean? I've got friends in the police department, Robin Walensky? to pass out. So here's a guy who's an MMA fighter who knows how to do that. He knows where to, you know, touch you around the neck. So you're gone, you're out. Scott and her friend Michael Swearingen
Starting point is 00:10:32 have been missing since January 4th. But yesterday, two bodies were found near Oklahoma City that are believed to be Scott and Swearingen. We don't know the facts of everything yet, but it's looking pretty scary. You know, if indeed we're looking at, you know, there's a homicide, two homicides in the picture, and still her daughter's missing, and this guy's in jail. At this point, Marks has not been charged with murder, but today he was named a person of interest in the 2009 disappearance of april pease you want answers i do the last we heard she's going to go to minnesota for treatment and my sister is hopeful with that and we didn't hear anything after that pisa's uncle says the worst
Starting point is 00:11:18 part is the not knowing not knowing if she's just hiding somewhere or she's in fact dead. She's not hiding. Okay. She's not been hiding since 2009. You're hearing from our friends at Wood 8 TV, Grand Rapids, Michigan. That was Heather Walker speaking with April Pease's uncle in Michigan. She's not hiding. Okay.
Starting point is 00:11:44 The harsh reality is that she, April, is dead. And I don't understand why just now her then-boyfriend, and they're in the middle of a heated custody battle, Cedric Mark, is just now a person of interest. I mean, it's pushing me over the edge, Ashley Wilcott, because if that case had been handled correctly, then we wouldn't be here right now finding two bodies in a shallow grave in Oklahoma. Oh, I completely agree with you. And that's what frustrates me with these crimes. When you have basically career criminals that nothing's ever happened to them, cases
Starting point is 00:12:24 aren't investigated. They aren't charged. They aren't tried. And as a result, what do they do? They have the same crime they commit again. And I hate to say this. I'm I just I think he is the one that did this. I don't want any other potential suspects to be eliminated.
Starting point is 00:12:43 But I have to say my gut is on this one. He is involved in these murders. So, Robin Walensky, help me sort through this. Okay, he breaks into Jenna. Well, let's start at the beginning. He has a child with April Pease. They get into a big custody battle. She goes missing.
Starting point is 00:13:02 All right? Number one. That's in Michigan. Fast forward. He gets in a relation with jenna scott she already has a nine-year-old daughter they have a problem because he breaks in he's violent and they issued an arrest warrant for the home invasion do i have it so far robin that is correct the only thing missing there is that she actually, if you're curious how these two met, they met on Tinder and then the relationship goes sour and she gets the restraining order against restraining order. And that's after he breaks in through the garage,
Starting point is 00:13:37 then suddenly she goes missing and she turns up in a shallow grave 350 miles away. Wow. I wonder who did that. And then a break in the case. Right now, Temple police are continuing their investigation into Marks. He was arrested in Michigan last week for allegedly breaking into Scott's home back in August. And he's now in the process of being extradited back to Bell County. Before that break in, Jenna Scott was afraid Marks was going to hurt her. On July 27th, she filed for a protective order. In it, she claimed Marks told her he killed pets when he was a child and that he killed someone in Oklahoma,
Starting point is 00:14:13 covered it up, and could do the same in Texas. She claimed Marks was a master manipulator, a pathological liar, and a psychopath. But this order was dismissed. Right now, we don't know why. And today, we receive new details about Marks' past with a different woman, April Peace. a psychopath. But this or now we don't know why. An new details about marks p woman, April peace. She i
Starting point is 00:14:30 son. Court documents say custody battle over their state. The documents descri with aggressive behavior, denial that he has issues Peace went to a protected location with their son because she claimed she was afraid of Marks and ultimately got custody of their son because her living situation was more predictable. But in the midst of that custody
Starting point is 00:14:55 battle, she went missing. Peace was last seen on March 17, 2009 in Minnesota. Today, police there confirmed Cedric Marks is being investigated as a possible person of interest in pieces disappearance. Minnesota authorities say they are aware of the developments here in Texas and will follow up on any new and relevant information impacting her case. Now earlier today I spoke with Jenna's father Jonathan Scott about April Peace and Mark's possible connection to her disappearance. This is what he had to say. I'm not surprised at all. Man terrorized my my daughter for two and a half years, almost three years. If that is the case and these cases are linked, then hopefully justice will be served. Again, he is expected to be back in Bell County facing burglary charges. You are hearing from our friends at KCEN-TV, that's NBC, reporter Cole Johnson, and speaking to Jenna Scott's dad. Okay, Robin Winskey, the plot is thickening. So he gets arrested, but he is arrested on the home invasion through Jenna's garage. What happens next? So Nancy, here's what happens. They pick this guy up in Michigan. They pick him up and they start transporting him back to Texas along with
Starting point is 00:16:07 some other prisoners. And oh, by the way, somebody's hungry. So they stop at McDonald's and guess what, Nancy? He escaped. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You got a truck load of felons and somebody gets hungry, so they stop at McDonald's? Did I just hear that? That's a yes, no. Robin, is that right? That is correct. Ashley Wilcott, have I lost my mind? Somebody gets hungry, you got a van full of felons, and you stop at McDonald's? Hold on. Before I go to Ashley, I want you to listen to this newser. Listen. This morning at approximately 7.20 a.m., the Conroe Police Dispatch received a call from Texas Prisoners Transport Services
Starting point is 00:16:54 advising of an escapee from their transport van. The escapee, identified as Cedric Joseph Marks, he's a black male with a date of birth of 7-15-74. He was able to elude custody when the transport van stopped at McDonald's at 801 North Loop 336 West. Marks escaped on foot and in an eastern direction. Marks was in transport from Grand Rapids, Michigan, after being captured by the U.S. Marshals for a warrant for burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony. The Texas Prisoner Transport Services was en route to Bell County at the time of their stop.
Starting point is 00:17:38 Marks also has warrants for the murders of Michael Swearingen, age 32, and Jenna Scott, age 28, in an investigation that began in Temple, Texas in January of 2019. The Condor Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are working in conjunction with multiple state and local agencies to apprehend the suspect. We have air support, canine tracking dogs from TDCJ, and multiple ground units searching the area. Our primary concern is for the safety of our community.
Starting point is 00:18:14 We have sent notifications to our citizens through multiple sources, including emergency notification systems, the media, and social media. We urge our citizens to allow law enforcement to conduct this investigation. You are hearing the police newser regarding the escape. Yes, you heard me, the escape of Cedric Marks at a McDonald's. How come they're transporting nine people? Somebody gets hungry, they have to stop. They couldn't hold it until they got to where they were going. Out of the nine felons on that vehicle, only Cedric Marks escapes.
Starting point is 00:18:53 If seen, do not attempt to make contact with Marks. Contact 911 immediately. The circumstances surrounding the escapee or this escape are currently under investigation, including interviews with the transport company and other inmates on the transport van. We appreciate the assistance and understanding of the public in this fluid and very serious situation. We will continue to keep our citizens updated through social media and our media partners. Are there any questions at this time? Can you repeat again, who needs to stay indoors? Who are you advising to stay inside? We're just advising citizens who live in the area between 105 and the North Loop on both sides of 45 just to stay indoors if they can. Can you tell us how many
Starting point is 00:19:42 other people were on the transport van with them? There were two guards or employees from the transport van and a total of 10 prisoners and one escapee, so we have nine additional inmates on the van. Hi, Nancy Grace here. Have you ever Googled yourself, your neighbors, somebody at work, a crush? 57% of Americans admit to keeping an eye on their own online reputation. 46% admit to using the Internet to look up somebody from their past. But Google and Facebook, the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding personal information. There's an innovative new website called Truthfinder. It's now revealing the full scoop on millions of Americans.
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Starting point is 00:21:08 Truthfinder.com forward slash Nancy. Find the truth. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Police found his car in Austin when they first went missing in January, and tonight Swearingen's girlfriend is speaking to us for the first time. KV's Kaylin Norwood has been on the story all day. Kaylin, there are questions that she wants answered tonight. The big question is how could this happen? Police say Marks escaped at a McDonald's in Conroe. Hours later, Swearingen's girlfriend is relieved that he is back in custody, but the victim's family's fear for their lives when they got word he had escaped. It's like right when you think it can't get any worse, it does.
Starting point is 00:21:50 Police say Cedric Marks managed to break free when his prison transport van stopped for food at a McDonald's in Conroe. He's accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Jenna Scott and her friend Michael Swearingen. Their bodies were found buried in Oklahoma last month with two guards in charge of 10 inmates. Police say at around 7 30 Sunday morning, Marks got away. It's unbelievable. It is unbelievable. This whole thing is just honestly a nightmare. That's Swearingen's girlfriend, Rachel Foster. The two had known each other since high school but started dating about a year ago. She says she was in love with Swearingen and ever since he went missing January 4th,
Starting point is 00:22:27 she's been through a whirlwind of emotions. You go from depression, sadness, anger. And with the more recent news of his death, there's a lot she misses about him. Hang on. Everything? Absolutely everything? everything absolutely everything the news of mark's escape only added to the pain and fear stop at a mcdonald's and he's triple shacked triple shackled at the hands your hands are shackled to your waist your waist it's like a chain belt around your waist or shackled to your ankles.
Starting point is 00:23:08 McDonald's? Karen, I can't believe it. Why are they stopping at a McDonald's with a double killer, possibly a serial killer? Possibly a serial killer. And in that van, there were nine people who were shackled. And how in the world Nancy did he get away it makes me I really it's so reminiscent in some ways about OJ and there she is she's with a
Starting point is 00:23:33 friend not a boyfriend and they're murdered and this guy is on a running away and they're chasing him this it's just so strange unbelievable you know to Stephen Lampley, you're the renowned detective. You've worked with felons your whole life. I can't believe they got nine felons in there and they go to McDonald's. That's the whole reason they have bars on transport vans. So nobody can get out. And this one guy gets out, Stephen Lampley. You know, Nancy, they're going from, I've got friends who have done the transport before,
Starting point is 00:24:07 and they're going from Michigan to Texas. They've got a long trip, and they're allowed to make rest stops and meal stops. But my concern is how, what was the situation that they allowed this Marks guy to escape? But what, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that, what kind of situation they created that would allow this to happen. You know, Robin Walensky, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, you have inside information. What did you learn, Robin? You know, I was listening to Lieutenant Dorsey McGinnis with the Conroe, Texas Police Department, and there was a nugget at the very
Starting point is 00:24:45 end of her very intense news conference when Cedric Marks is on the run, when he's on the loose. And it was her belief that he was not in handcuffs. And my question is, why not? She seemed to pin it on the Texas Prisoner Transport Services that they were going to interview, obviously, all the other prisoners and whoever was driving that prison van. But if he wasn't in handcuffs, that is just an incredible development. Oh, no, not in handcuffs. Oh, man, man. We know of two people we think he killed, Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingen. Now you've got the other woman, April Pease. He's a person of interest in that, finally, after about 10 years. But listen to this.
Starting point is 00:25:31 Did you hear this, Robin Walensky? It was Lieutenant Dorsey McGinnis with the Conroe Police Department speaking at that news conference in the last hours. He said there were two employees from the transport service nine inmates and quote we quote we do believe there was still one guard in the van or near the van they didn't say yes there was a guard in the van yes there was a guard standing beside the van. No, they go, we think there might have been a guard at the van. I mean, I don't get it. No wonder the victim's families are so upset, Robin Walensky. Yeah, because who is guarding this guy? Who's in charge? Who's large and in charge? You have people that are accused on that van of felonies, of murders, of burglaries. Who is in charge from this very long van trip from Michigan all the way down to Texas? That's a really long ride. You need people who are large
Starting point is 00:26:34 and in charge, Nancy. Well, I know they have to stop to go to the bathroom. I know they got to stop to stand up or to drive through somewhere, but you don't leave the vehicle unattended with a bunch of felons sitting in there with nothing to lose. Okay, nothing to lose. And they can't tell me for sure there was a guard. We do believe there was still one guard in the van or near the van. I mean, this guy's on the hot seat, Lieutenant Dorsey McGinnis, trying to, you know, make sense of what's happening. That's what we know right now. So, Robin Walensky, the search is on for Cedric Marks. Listen. Police say Marks escaped at a McDonald's in Conroe on the run for hours. He had leg restraints, hand restraints, and a belly restraint. With two guards in charge of 10 inmates, police say at around 7.30 Sunday morning, Marks got away.
Starting point is 00:27:30 The suspect was located in the 1,000 block of Winswept, hiding in a trash can. Marks taken back into custody without a fight. So, Robin Walensky, he's found in a trash can where? Yeah, he's found in Texas. They get word out from the lieutenant and so they're on the lookout for him and he's pretty easy to spot. He's a big guy in an orange prison jumpsuit, Nancy, and they kind of closed in on him near a Walmart and somebody spotted him and the next thing you know he's found in a trash can. It must have been a pretty large trash can. And he only has the prison pants on.
Starting point is 00:28:07 He's naked from the waist up. And, wow, does he look terrible. And then they finally put him in the shackles and they have the pants. They kind of tie his pants on. In the video you can see that they don't want his pants to come off, too. And then they finally, you know, lock him down and throw him in a police car. Take a listen to CNN's Kaylee Hartung. It took air support, ground units, and canine tracking dogs to find Cedric Marks after this nine-hour manhunt.
Starting point is 00:28:36 He escaped from this prison transport van as it was parked in McDonald's. One of the drivers of the vehicle was near the vehicle at the time of his escape. Of course, that matter is under investigation. He took off on foot, but as it turns out, he didn't get very far. He was discovered in the backyard of a home in the neighborhood just behind that McDonald's. Listen to a recount of his capture from the man who lived next door to that home. I heard everybody running, police running and screaming and everything. What were they saying?
Starting point is 00:29:04 They were saying, hey, stop, stop resisting. And pretty much like my sister, she was over there in the room and she heard some noises whenever they got him. Did you see him? I saw him when they grabbed him and pulled the handcuffs and everything. What was he wearing? He was wearing an orange jumpsuit. Marks was arrested for the burglary of his ex-girlfriend's home and the intention to commit another felony. He was found in Michigan by U.S. Marshals, so he was being in the process of extradited back to Texas when he managed to escape in this manhunt and sued. He is also looking at pending murder charges for three murders, including that same ex-girlfriend whose home he burglarized. The community in Conroe, Texas can rest easier
Starting point is 00:29:50 tonight, but this story is far from over. Can you tell us how many other people were on the transport van with him? There were two guards or employees from the transport van and a total of 10 prisoners and one escapee, so we have nine additional inmates on the van. So was he being supervised when he escaped? We are currently conducting an investigation regarding all that situation, so I can just say right now that it's under investigation. We do believe there was one still in the van, or near the van. Is he wearing restraints to your knowledge right now, or is he able to? That's still under investigation.
Starting point is 00:30:22 We do not believe he has any kind of hand restraints. Okay, so if anyone sees anybody out there, they wouldn't expect that he would have any type of restraint on him? Not necessarily, but again, that's still under investigation. We don't have a good answer for that yet. No hand restraints. You are hearing the police newser after Cedric Marks escapes. Let's get back down to it.
Starting point is 00:30:41 So he's found in a trash can. How fitting. Robin Walensky, we've got him now, right? I'm not even going to talk about him not wearing handcuffs and apparently the guard not being in or beside the vehicle. They keep using the word near, which could mean inside having a cup of coffee, occasionally looking at the van for all. I know.
Starting point is 00:31:02 I don't know the answer to that, but let me get past that if I can, because it's making my teeth hurt. But we have him now. Now, Robin Walensky, how can I tie him, other than plain old common sense, to the murders of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearengen? What are his connections to Oklahoma? Oklahoma keeps popping up over and over, Robin. Remember, he told somebody he had killed someone in Oklahoma. Now these two bodies are found in Oklahoma out in the middle of nowhere. And I say that with a lot of love because I came from a rural area where you could see nothing but soybean fields and pine trees. But out in the middle of nowhere, there's like under 100 people that even live in that community in a hidden shallow grave.
Starting point is 00:31:48 So what's his connection to Oklahoma? And how the hey, Robin Walensky, did they ever find the shallow grave? My understanding of the situation is that he owned some land out there in the middle of Nowheresville in Oklahoma. And like you say, less than 100 people live in the town. So he was very familiar with it. And it's the kind of place where no one would bother, I guess, to look, except that someone did stumble upon this shallow grave and called the police. Well, I've also learned, well, Jackie Howard here in the studio learned, Catch this, Robin Walensky. His dad grew up in Clearview.
Starting point is 00:32:27 Is that what you said, Jack? Clearview, Oklahoma, and they have a reunion every year. Now, I can tell you this. My dad was born in Hay-Cody, Alabama. Hay-Cody, Alabama. Have you ever heard of that? Probably not. It's near OPP. O-P-P. Have you ever heard of that? Well, that's near Sampson. You ever heard of that probably not it's near OP OPP have you ever
Starting point is 00:32:46 heard of that well that's near Sampson you ever heard of that well that's near um the panhandle all right now you're getting toward Mobile Alabama so let me tell you if he wanted to hide a body op or hey cody is the place to go just like this spot so that's the connection stephen lampley a renowned detective wow that's uh that's going way back right to find this spot in oklahoma that took some police work stephen lampley well Well, you know, Nancy, and I don't know what the clues were or what the information they had was, except the fact that he is from that area, and you're correct. His dad grew up in that area. As a matter of fact, they have, like you said, Labor Day reunions every year. So I'm going to assume that that was their connection.
Starting point is 00:33:44 And he didn't bury, it's my understanding he didn't bury these two on his land, but on the land of another gentleman that lives, I think, close by there. Wow, I'm learning a lot. This guy, Cedric Marks, the mixed martial arts specialist, does have that direct connection to Clearview, Oklahoma, where the bodies of Michael Swearingen and Jenna Scott were found. His father grew up in that small town of only about 60 people and as Jackie Howard tells me, his family hosts a reunion there every year. Now, we managed to
Starting point is 00:34:20 track down some court records in Tulsa County in Oklahoma that shows he has felony charges for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and attempted escape for an incident dating back to 1992. They were dropped. But the court records show he pled guilty to an attempted robbery and a firearm charge in 92. All right. So this guy has quite the history back in Oklahoma. So they go straight back to that land. And there you go. We find out he served six years in an OK prison after that guilty plea.
Starting point is 00:35:02 He got out in 98, according to these court documents we managed to get. Wow. You know, it just goes on and on. So then Karen Stark, he comes straight out of prison and he gets into mixed martial arts and actually has a pretty good record at it. So what do you make of that, Karen Stark? You're the shrink. I'm not surprised. This man has a history of violence, and so we'll make him be only stronger, and he certainly wants to intimidate people. So tell the perfect, perfect profile, Nancy. I think it speaks volumes, Karen Stark. This other woman, April Pease, had to go live in a battered women's shelter, because as you know i volunteered at the atlanta batter women's center for nine years at night when i was a prosecutor and these women come from every walk of life when i mean you could be rich poor it doesn't matter your religion or your color and you have nowhere you
Starting point is 00:35:59 can go that's safe and she had to take april pease, herself, and her son by Cedric Marks and go hide in a battered women's center, Karen Stark. And if you think about it, Nancy, what does it do for her? I mean, there are so many people out there who are violent and in that situation, unfortunately. There she is. She went to hide. Unfortunately, this person in the shallow grave, she did not.
Starting point is 00:36:26 And he was able to commit crimes anyway. So there was really no place for her to hide. What happens now to Robin Walensky, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, author of Beautiful Life, CSI Behind the Casey Anthony Trial on Amazon. Robin, what's going to happen now? I want to find out, A, the mode of death, the COD cause of death and mode of death, if we know Michael Swearingen and Jenna Scott, who is leaving behind a little nine-year-old girl. And I want to find out the jurisdiction where we think the murders occurred, because I want to find out if they've got the death penalty, Robin Walensky. Yeah, I think the first thing they're going to do, the medical examiner is, you know, obviously going to look at those bodies, also see if there's his
Starting point is 00:37:13 DNA on either. Is there DNA at that scene in Oklahoma? Did the murders? Robin, Robin, you know how much I love and respect you, but please, okay. He's having a battle with Jenna Scott. He breaks in her house. She's found dead 350 miles away in a shallow grave in his hometown where he has family reunions every year. What, do you think like a little green man from Mars came in and killed her and Swearingen and then transported their bodies? He did it okay please stop i need the dna evidence for this you're scaring me you're gonna need the dna evidence
Starting point is 00:37:51 for the jury and you know we saw how casey anthony went when you didn't have uh when the prosecution doesn't connect the dots and so they're gonna need that dna so where did it happen robin where did it happen what state question it either happened in te What state? That's a great question. It either happened in Texas or Oklahoma. And so in Texas, you have death penalty in both. So I think that he's cooked. Well, okay, I need to know nothing more. Oklahoma and Texas,
Starting point is 00:38:16 they both have the death penalty and more than one body under the law is mass murder. So this guy's nickname is Spider-Man in the MMA circuit. Good luck getting out of jail this time, buddy. We wait as justice unfolds. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off.
Starting point is 00:38:32 Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.

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