VIRGINIA BEACH
A man pleaded guilty Friday to killing three people, including the mother of his daughter, and wounding two others at an Oceanfront condominium more than three years ago.
Marcus V. Garrett, 31, repeatedly answered "guilty" as Circuit Judge A. Bonwill Shockley listed the charges against him: capital murder, two counts of attempted capital murder, six counts of use of a firearm, maliciously discharging a weapon inside an occupied building and armed burglary.
Garrett stood calmly just a few feet away from the victims' relatives, who had attended many of the court hearings. They declined to comment.
His plea, without any concessions by the prosecution, came more than two months after a trial had to be continued when the defense learned that a detective had mistakenly destroyed four of six shell casings and three of the four bullets recovered from the Ocean Place Condominiums on 24th Street.
Outside the courthouse, Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant called the destruction of evidence a "red herring," saying it never factored into the case against Garrett.
Bryant said he intends to ask the judge to impose the death penalty when Garrett is scheduled to appear for sentencing Oct. 1.
In the early hours of May 28, 2005, prosecutors said, Garrett used a car key to cut open a window screen at the rear of the condominium, where Rachel Scher, his girlfriend and mother of his then 2-year-old daughter, was visiting with friends.
In the bedroom, Garrett shot Candace Blanton with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He then moved from room to room, shooting Jonathan Kerry-Tyerman, Bryce Bauerbrand and David Kusa.
Garrett found Scher, who was calling 911, in a hallway of the complex and shot her in the head, according to prosecutors. Scher, Bauerband and Kusa were killed.
In a videotaped confession, Garrett told an investigator that he was out of control and under the influence of alcohol when he began pulling the trigger.
Defense attorney Andrew Sacks said that if Garrett accepted responsibility for his actions that night, he would have a better chance to avoid the death penalty.
"We think that Marcus' life is a life worth saving," Sacks said.
Duane Bourne, (757) 222-5150, duane.bourne@pilotonline.com
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I believe in Swift Justice......He should be dead in a week.
I am against using the death penalty when there is only circumstantial evidence. However is cases such as this where there is no question, I don't care if there were judicial mistakes or whatever might be used on appeal. I don't care if this guy has the cure for cancer, kill him dead in a week and move on. I don't care if he lived a terribly abused life, was drunk or on heroin at the time society has no use for wanton killers. This guy needs to be sent back to his maker as fast we can.
Real justice...
Simply turn him over to the relatives of those murdered...they will know what to do.
Hang him
I have met him and his daughter. Every time this pops up I think of her. It will do her no favor to have him lingering in the background. As a father, it is unbelievable what he did to her by taking this action. By killing these people all he did was project his rage in an attempt to make himself feel better. Now a little girl will walk through life with no parents. She is the lasting legacy of his rage. Hang him.
If he thought he felt like a
If he thought he felt like a puppet then, just wait until he is dangling by his neck from a hangman's noose...
What do you mean?
Could face death penalty? Kills 3 people and may not face the death penalty, unbelievable. This guy deserves to be put to death, and I don't mean in 11 years. Start to finish no longer than 2 1/2 -3 years. When people take a life, there should be no doubt that they are facing the death penalty. All murderers should face the death penalty. The decision to choose the death penalty should not be to the prosecutors office, it should be the juries choice. Treat every murder case the same, shorten the process till the ultimate penalty is paid, publicize it so that the low lives that would even consider this type of crime may decide against it. Vote accordingly to get the results you want, and don't be afraid to ask the tough questions!
Marcus V. Garrett
What a great move by that detective for destroying evidence. Isn't there any oversight officer for these things? Is the detective still on the job? Why isn't he fired or at least directing traffic somewhere. The next time a police officer wonders why they are not respected as in the past....well, ask the likes of that chowder-head detective.