MMA fighter Cedric Marks could face death penalty for murdering ex-girlfriend

Cedric Marks was found guilty of capital murder by a jury after a trial that lasted six weeks. Marks was accused of killing Jenna Scott, his ex-girlfriend, and Michael Swearingin, a friend of Scott's, in Temple, Texas back in January 2019.

The verdict was handed out on Wednesday, May 24 after hearing the strong closing arguments from both sides. The verdict was expected to be announced on Wednesday afternoon, according to the experts tracking the case.

Cedric Marks is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend Jenna Scott and her friend Michael Swearingin, both from Temple, Texas, in 2019 and burying their bodies in a family estate near Clearview, Oklahoma.

It has now come to light that Marks is facing the death penalty for his heinous crimes. According to a report by KCEN-TV, once the verdict was read, some family members were seen grinning. Marks, despite numerous outbursts during this trial, likewise did not testify.

Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza emphasized in his closing statements that the killer of Scott and Swearingin was on trial before the court. At the trial, Cedric Marks presented a PowerPoint titled "The State's Narrative vs. Cedric Joseph Marks" to support his defense.

Marks became emotional during the presentation and said:

"I didn't commit any crime. I can look at the family and say I did not kill your daughter, I did not kill your son."

Marks, his feet shackled, begged the jury to spare his life, but they found him guilty anyway. The former MMA fighter referred back to his accomplice, Maya Maxwell, claiming, she's a "convincing" liar and that Maxwell lied in all nine interviews. At the end of her final remarks, First Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Newell emphasized once again how terrible the acts were.

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A deep look at Cedric Marks' crimes and arrest

Cedric Marks, a suspect in the murder of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin, was arrested in Michigan in 2019. Marks escaped while being transferred to Texas and hid in a trash can for nine hours before being found by the police.

The former MMA fighter was already facing two counts of capital murder when the death of April Pease was added to the list of his victims. Pease disappeared from a shelter in Bloomington, Minnesota in 2009, not long after she and Marks got into a heated dispute over custody of their children.

During the fourth week of the trials, Maya Maxwell, Marks's alleged conspirator, and ex-girlfriend, testified once more under direct examination by the prosecution. Marks is accused of killing Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin, and Maxwell agreed to testify against him in exchange for a reduced sentence.

She admitted to two counts of evidence tampering and received a 20-year prison term with the chance of release. During Maxwell's cross-examination by prosecutors, she admitted that she had initially told police that she and Marks had not traveled to Texas. She continued by stating that Cedric Mark's son needed an action figure and that their trip to Texas had nothing to do with Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin.