When police searched for Lyntell Washington in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, in June 2016, they found something horrifying.
After being killed a few days earlier, all that was left of the 40-year-old was her decomposing body. ABC News’ 20/20: The Barefoot Witness looks at Lyntell’s murder and how an investigation was launched when her 3-year-old daughter was found alone. The show also talks about Lyntell’s twin sister, Cyntell, and what she said at the trial of killer Robert Marks. So here’s what we know if you want to learn more.
Who are Lyntell Washington’s daughter and sister?
Calvin and Margie Washington had twin girls named Lyntell and Cyntell. The twins were the only children Calvin and Margie had. Lyntell was working as an instructional specialist at a school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when the accident happened. On June 9, 2016, a passerby named Leslie Parms saw a little girl alone in the parking lot. It was Lyntell’s daughter and her car was in the same lot.
Leslie called 911, and police immediately began investigating where Lyntell had gone. What the 3-year-old told police led them to Robert Marks, the deputy principal of the same school. The inquest revealed that Robert was having an affair with Lyntell and that she was seven months pregnant with their child when she went missing. On June 9, he was arrested for kidnapping and dangerously abandoning a child.
Lyntell’s daughter was then spoken to, and when she was with a trained professional, she said some scary things. The little girl recalled hanging out with her mother and “Mr. Robbie.” She also said she heard a bang and saw it hurt her mother. Lyntell’s daughter said her mother was “sleeping” and “in a lake” and Mr Robbie tried to clean up the blood in the car.
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What happened to Lyntell Washington’s daughter and sister?
Lyntell Washington was not found near a lake. Instead, she lay in a ditch. But her daughter’s statements were very important in sentencing Robert in 2021. The little girl also testified at the trial, but in an interrogation video she was only asked to name her mother and herself. Cyntell also testified, saying that she took care of her niece temporarily and spoke to her after the murder.
When the defense asked Cyntell why she didn’t turn over those records, she said it was because she wanted to help the little girl. Since then, the family has stayed out of the public eye so not much is known about them. As far as we know, Cyntell lives in Houston, Texas, and Lyntell’s daughter, who is now about 9 years old, appears to live in Louisiana with her father, Darren Glasper, who is helping her cope with the trauma.
What happened to Lyntell Washington?
Lyntell Washington was 40 years old. She was a teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
At the time of her death, she was working at Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy in town.
Lyntell and her ex-boyfriend Darren Glasper, who was named teacher of the year at the school, had a daughter.
While she was a teacher at Magnet Academy, she dated her married assistant principal, Robert Marks.
During their secret relationship, Lyntell found out that she was going to have Robert’s child.
A viewer named Leslie Parms saw the teacher’s 3-year-old daughter, Lyntell, walking around a car park covered in blood. Parms immediately reported Lyntell missing.
Leslie said on ABC 20/20: “Well where’s mum? I first asked her some questions. Where’s mom’s car? Then she pointed to the car her mother was driving.”
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What happened to Lyntell that caused her to die?
On Tuesday, June 14, a few days later, Lyntell’s body was found in the city of Iberville Parish in the same state.
After the autopsy was completed, authorities said the teacher died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The school’s faculty issued a statement, which read, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of Lyntell Washington and her unborn child.
“We are thinking of her family and praying for her at this sad time.
“MS. Washington was a valuable member of our team. She will be remembered because her work in our district changed the lives of so many people.”
In connection with Lyntell’s death on December 17, 2021, former Deputy Principal Robert Marks was found guilty of kidnapping, second-degree murder and first-degree fetus.
He was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole on February 14, 2022.
Lyntell’s murder case is revisited in an episode of ABC 20/20 entitled “The Barefoot Witness”.
When The Barefoot Witness premieres on October 7, 2022 on the aforementioned network, viewers interested in true crimes will learn even more about the case.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office was confident, based on her dental records, that the body was that of Lyntell Washington, 40, of Baton Rouge. Last Thursday morning, her 3-year-old daughter was found alone in Baton Rouge near her bloodied car and police were called.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy in Washington on Wednesday and found she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Her unborn child also died as a result. The coroner said the fetus was not harmed in any way.
The community coroner, Dr. Beau Clark said Wednesday the body was so badly decomposed that they needed DNA samples to be sure who it was. After Washington’s body was found Tuesday by a farmer in Rosedale, investigators from various agencies helped clean up the crime scene.
The woman who was once named “Teacher of the Year” and now teaches at Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy has been missing since last Friday. Crews searched Baker, Zachary, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville and Ramah, all located in southern Louisiana, from the air, on the ground and in the water for most of Friday. When it got dark on Friday, the search was temporarily suspended.
Washington works at a middle school in Baton Rouge. The deputy principal of the school where she works has been arrested in connection with her disappearance. Robert Jovantie Marks, who is 39, has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and child abandonment for abandoning Washington’s child in a parking lot.
On Saturday, police said Marks had hired a lawyer and would not help with the investigation. Now that Washington’s body has been found, police will likely question Marks again. He’s still being held. Prosecutors for the 19th Circuit said Marks likely faces additional charges, including murder and fetus.
Marks is married to another woman and police records show he may have been concerned his wife would find out he got Washington pregnant. Cell phone records from 9:45 p.m. show both Mark’s phone and Washington’s phone were in the Ramah area. The date is June 8th. Police records show both phones were in that area for about 15 minutes before returning to Baton Rouge.
The child told investigators that “Mr. Robbie” injured her mother and is now asleep, according to the alleged report. It was also revealed that the child was with her mother and Marks “when she heard a ‘bang’ and her mother ‘shook’ after the bang.” She also said that her mother is in the lake and that it was dark when her mother was injured.”
McKneely said detectives also found that Marks took Washington’s 3-year-old daughter Wednesday night and left her alone in a parking lot on the 11000 block of Newcastle Avenue.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has confirmed Washington was the Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015. They also confirmed that Marks works at the same school as an assistant principal and has been placed on administrative leave.
Marks is married and was Washington’s middle school boss in Baton Rouge, where he worked. A colleague told police Washington was pregnant with Marks’ child and had threatened to tell his wife about their affair.
Cell phone recordings as of 9:45 p.m. show both Mark’s phone and Washington’s phone were in the Ramah area, about 25 miles from Baton Rouge. The date is June 8th. Police records show both phones were in that area for about 15 minutes before returning to Baton Rouge.
WAFB says Marks was first arrested for aggravated kidnapping and child abandonment after Washington’s child was left alone in a parking lot.
The child told investigators that “Mr. Robbie” injured her mother and is now asleep, according to the alleged report. It was also revealed that the child was with her mother and Marks “when she heard a ‘bang’ and her mother ‘shook’ after the bang.” She also said that her mother is in the lake and that it was dark when her mother was injured.”
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has confirmed Washington was the Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015. They also confirmed that Marks works at the same school as an assistant principal and has been placed on administrative leave.
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