STATESBORO, Ga. (Court TV) — A Georgia man has pleaded guilty in connection with the deaths of two children found buried behind a home in a deal that will allow him to avoid the death penalty.
Mark Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, cruelty to children, false imprisonment and two counts of concealing the death of another in the deaths of Mary and Elwyn Crocker Jr.
Mark Wright pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the deaths of Mary and Elwyn Crocker Jr. (Effingham County Sheriff’s Office)
In Dec. 2018, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home of Candice and Elwyn Crocker Sr. after someone called in a tip that 14-year-old Mary was missing and feared dead. At the time, Mary hadn’t been seen in weeks. When deputies went to the home, the adults inside said Mary had gone to live with her mother.
Elwyn Sr. was the biological father of both Mary and Elwyn Jr.; Candice was the children’s stepmother. Also living inside the home were Candice’s brother, Mark Wright, Candice’s mother, Kim Wright, and Kim’s boyfriend, Roy Prater.
Deputies on the scene said a comment from Elwyn Sr. led them to check the woodline behind the residence, where they found the bodies of the children buried. 14-year-old Elwyn Jr. had not been seen since Nov. 2016; neither he nor Mary were ever reported missing to police.
MORE | Georgia man sentenced for role in torture, deaths of two children
Elwyn Crocker Sr. had worked dressing up as Santa Claus at a Walmart in Rincon, WTOC reported. “These other families who live out here had their kids in his lap,” neighbor Ronald Howe told the outlet.
In charging documents reviewed by Court TV, prosecutors alleged that the adults murdered Mary by confining her in an “animal travel crate” and tortured her, withholding food and nourishment over an estimated period of 10 months.
In a news release announcing the plea agreement, Effingham County District Attorney Robert Busbee said Mark will face a potential sentence of 10 to 80 years when he faces a judge in November. Prosecutors had previously been seeking a death sentence.
“This case has weighed heavily on Effingham County for many years,” Busbee said in a statement. “While there is still a long road ahead, today’s plea is an important step toward accountability and justice for Elwyn Crocker Jr. and Mary Crocker.”
Candice and Prater previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to life in prison without parole, The Effingham Herald reported. Elwyn Sr. and Kim are still awaiting trial.
