Twisted Cover Up on ID: Where are LaToya and Denise Gay now?

The 2017 disappearance of Martre Coles led to the conviction of his stepmother, Denise Gay, and her elder daughter, LaToya Gay. Martre's body was discovered in a plastic container in April, raising suspicions of a family member's involvement.

With sufficient evidence and a 911 call from the Coles residence, the authorities found Martre's new stepmother, Denise Gay, to have been behind the heinous crime. Denise forged an application offer from Full Sail University in Florida for Martre and reportedly suffocated him to death with her eldest daughter, LaToya Gay, the day he was to leave for the campus.

While Denise Gay was sentenced to life in prison, LaToya was given 30 years. Both are presently incarcerated at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. The Investigation Discovery special, Twisted Cover Up, examines Martre Coles' murder and airs on Investigation Discovery on May 25, 2024, at 10 pm EST. The official synopsis reads,

"Coles asks Denise Gay to move in with him even though family members oppose this arrangement."

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How were LaToya and Denise Gay arrested? Details explored

The disappearance of 19-year-old Martre Coles on March 12, 2017, brought the Henrico County police officers in a tough spot as they were left with no choice but to go on with the investigation without informing Coles' family. Martre Coles aspired to design video games and was ecstatic when he received an opportunity to join the art and design program at Full Sail University in Florida.

On the day Coles was scheduled to leave for an exhibition invitation at the prestigious university, he went missing, raising an alarm for his sisters, Michelle and Marqweisha, and his girlfriend, Ashlyn Knight. The 19-year-old Martre's body was found inside a plastic storage box off Gorman Road in eastern Henrico on April 2, 2017, per Richmond Times-Dispatch.

While an autopsy report stated the cause of death to be asphyxiation, the Henrico County officials suspected foul play per the 911 call made by Denise Gay's younger daughter, Alana. Alana spoke to officers and mentioned witnessing her elder sister, LaToya, and her mother, Denise, on top of Martre in his room as he screamed.

Alana also mentioned seeing LaToya drag a plastic container across the house. The authorities investigated further without informing Martre's family to find suspicious behavior from Denise Gay. The police officers installed surveillance cameras at the site where Martre's body was found and later found that Denise Gay had visited the place.

The former Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County, Stacey Davenport, confirmed that Denise had an extensive charge sheet full of felonies. Martre Coles' autopsy report stated the presence of Trazadone and GHB in his system - drugs that Denise Gay had access to, per Oxygen.

Furthermore, the authorities discovered that Denise had used her computer to falsify the mail allegedly sent by Full Sail University to Martre Coles.

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Where are Denise and LaToya Gay now?

Armed with the evidence, Denise and LaToya Gay were initially arrested under charges of second-degree murder of Martre Coles. The mother-daughter duo stood trial, and the jury was deadlocked.

The jury found both guilty of first-degree murder through individual retrials and sentenced Denise to life in prison in April 2018. LaToya Shantice Gay received 20 years in prison for the murder and 10 additional years for the conspiracy, per WRIC.

Both Denise and LaToya Gay are presently incarcerated at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Troy, Virginia.

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Catch all the details of Martre Coles' murder case on Twisted Cover Up on Saturday.