Kriti Mehrotra
When 40-year-old Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy teacher Lyntell Washington suddenly disappeared without a trace left behind in the summer of 2016, it left the entire nation perplexed. That’s because, as profiled in ABC’s ’20/20: The Barefoot Witness,’ it was her then 3-year-old daughter who inadvertently altered officials of the same while wandering in a parking lot all alone. It was she, her statements on what’d transpired, cellphone records, and several other pieces of evidence that helped determine her mother had been killed by her secret boyfriend, Robert Marks.
Robert Marks’ Affair With Lyntell Washington Began With Him Pursuing Her
Hailing from the north side of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Robert Marks made a name for himself in the education industry on his own despite any challenges he may have faced along the way. He reportedly earned a Ph.D. in the field before finding himself evolving into a full-time teacher, ultimately even resulting in him securing the role of Assistant Principal at Brookstown Middle. According to reports, he and Lyntell started working here around the same time, but there initially seemed to be no real interest from her side, especially as it was well-known that he was married.
However, over time, Lyntell grew warmer towards Robert despite being a single mother to a daughter from a previous relationship and not having had great experiences with men in the past. As per reports, she fell for his charm, kindness, persuasiveness, and ability to bring a smile to others no matter what, resulting in her opening up to him to such an extent she even introduced him to her daughter. Her then-toddler daughter reportedly not only knew him as “Mr. Robbie” but also seemed to not mind him, which further propelled his relationship with the once Teacher of the Year at a previous school.
According to the aforementioned show, Robert told Lyntell that while he was still legally married, he and his wife had actually separated and were living on different floors of their two-story home. This led her to open up to him even further, soon resulting in them essentially being in a secret relationship owing to their respective prior bonds as well as their being co-workers at different levels. Yet, since the educator’s friends eventually did notice a change in her behavior, confidence, and gait, they got to learn about their connection, too, only for everything to change in the summer of 2016.
Robert Marks Killed Lyntell Washington to Protect His Reputation
Owing to the fact that Lyntell and Robert had gotten into a serious relationship over time, they had also become intimate, and it led to Lyntell’s becoming pregnant. As per records, it appeared as if Robert was initially over the moon about starting a family with Lyntell and was even actively participating in their future plans. Yet, one day, when he claimed he would support her no matter what she chose to do, she got a little angry over his insinuation she should get an abortion and asked him to leave. Yet, the next morning, they made up as he said he said he was just trying to show her support.
Then came Robert Marks leaving town for a while, telling Lyntell he was on his way to visit family, only for her to find out that he was actually still married and on a cruise with his wife. She texted him about it upon seeing the images on social media, but he didn’t respond until she said she would tell him about their involvement if he didn’t agree. So, on the evening of June 8, 2016, he texted her to meet her in a Walmart Parking lot, and she went to see him face to face because she wanted to see if he was lying or not. In the backseat was her then-3-year-old daughter, and in her belly was their unborn daughter.
That’s the last time Lyntell was ever seen or heard from alive. The next morning, a passerby saw her daughter roaming alone in a parking lot in the burning hear and called 911. In the dispatcher call, she could be heard saying that Mr. Robbi hurt her mother and then went away, so he was the first to be questioned as soon as he was identified. During his questioning, he admitted to the affair and even told officials he had met her the previous evening but asserted it was only for a while, following which he got on his motorcycle and drove around for a while before finding himself in a local bar called Twin Peaks. However, in the end, it came to light he had killed her to protect his marriage and his reputation – he did not want a child with her.
Robert Marks Was Arrested Within Days of the Incident
It was mere days after the incident that Robert Marks was arrested on the charge of second-degree murder and feticide after Lyntell’s body was found in a ditch. She had been shot once in the head before being disposed of, but as per her autopsy, despite the shooting, her baby could have been saved if immediate medical intervention had been given. He was identified as a suspect not only because of Lyntell’s daughter but also because of several other pieces of evidence pointing in his direction.
According to reports, authorities had tracked his and Lyntell’s cell phone, and they both showed them being together in the Walmart lot, going all the way to the lake area where her body was eventually found, and then eventually her phone being switched off, which officials believe is because he threw it in the lake on the drive back. Another factor is that a search of his devices showed that the day Lyntell’s pregnancy was confirmed, instead of looking up baby names or anything to suggest he was happy, he was looking up murder cases of pregnant women and later also bought a gun.
As if that’s not enough, there was no surveillance footage or witness testimonies that corroborated Robert was at Twin Peaks at the time of the murder, and a woman named Tramica Jackson then also stepped forward to help the police. She had also been dating Robert at the time and was actually the one who had picked him up that night and driven him to his bike in a Walmart parking lot after he had abandoned Lyntell’s car and her daughter in another parking lot less than a block away from her home. With this, he was arrested, only for his bail to be set at $80,000, which he soon posted.
Robert Marks is Currently Serving His Time Behind Bars
All throughout Robert’s initial arrest and bond release, his then-wife came forward in his support, claiming he was a family man and a loving husband and would never do what he has been accused of. However, when he stood trial for the charge against him, the evidence was undeniable. He didn’t testify in his defense and his team didn’t give any reasonings behind why he bought a gun, why his cell phone records showed he was in the area where Lyntell’s body was found, or why her daughter claimed he had hurt her in the head with a “boom” sound and then left her behind.
Therefore, following around 30 minutes of deliberations, the jury unanimously found Robert Marks guilty of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, so that’s where he remains to this day. According to the Louisiana State Department of Corrections records, he is currently incarcerated at the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola or the worst prison in America.
Read More: Where is Darren Glasper Now? What Happened to Lyntell Washington’s Daughter?
