
1976 - 2019
Summary
Name:
Marion Wilson Jr.Years Active:
1996Birth:
July 29, 1976Status:
ExecutedClass:
MurdererVictims:
1Method:
ShootingDeath:
June 20, 2019Nationality:
USA
1976 - 2019
Summary: Murderer
Name:
Marion Wilson Jr.Status:
ExecutedVictims:
1Method:
ShootingNationality:
USABirth:
July 29, 1976Death:
June 20, 2019Years Active:
1996Date Convicted:
November 7, 1997“I’d just like to say to my family and supporters I love you forever… I never took a life in my life…”
— Marion Wilson Jr.
Marion Wilson Jr. was born in 1976. He grew up in a challenging environment. His early life is not well-documented, but it is known that he became involved with a gang called the Folks. This gang was known for its violent activities and criminal behavior.
As a young person, Wilson faced many difficulties. He struggled with his surroundings and the choices that came with being part of a gang. His criminal activities escalated as he grew older. Wilson's involvement in gang life impacted his future and led him down a dangerous path.
Although specific details about his childhood are scarce, it is clear that his early experiences influenced his life choices. He would later face serious consequences for his actions, but his upbringing played a role in shaping who he became.
On the night of March 28, 1996, Marion Wilson Jr. was involved in the murder of Donovan Corey Parks in Baldwin County, Georgia. The incident began when Parks entered a local Wal-Mart to buy cat food, leaving his car parked in front of the store. Wilson and an accomplice, Robert Earl Butts, were seen behind Parks in the checkout line and later speaking with him outside the store.
Witnesses reported that Parks allowed Wilson and Butts to enter his vehicle, which was a 1992 Acura Vigor. Shortly after that, Parks's body was found lying face down on a nearby residential street. Neighbors heard a loud noise, which they thought was a backfiring engine, and saw headlights moving away from the area.
Police checked the Wal-Mart parking lot later that night. They found Butts’s car still there, which led them to focus on Wilson as a suspect based on witness accounts. After searching Wilson's home, authorities discovered a sawed-off shotgun and other gang-related paraphernalia, including notebooks and symbols associated with the Folks gang to which Wilson was linked.
During questioning, Wilson provided several statements to law enforcement. He described how Butts pulled out the shotgun, ordered Parks to stop the car, then forced him out and shot him in the back of the head. Wilson and Butts then drove away in Parks's car to buy gasoline before making their way to Atlanta. They attempted to find a place to dispose of the vehicle, eventually transporting it to Macon, where they set it on fire. After committing these acts, they returned to retrieve their vehicle from the Wal-Mart.
Wilson was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including murder, armed robbery, and hijacking a motor vehicle. On November 7, 1997, he was sentenced to death. The jury found that he acted with malice during the commission of the armed robbery, marking the crime as especially heinous.