In the autumn of 2018, the life of 34-year-old Markcus Maurice Pate was tragically cut short in Columbus, Mississippi. On the morning of Saturday, October 13, 2018, Pate was found deceased in his apartment located in the 300 block of 11th Street South. An investigation revealed he had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Authorities quickly determined that the incident was not a random act of violence.
The lack of forced entry into the apartment suggested that the perpetrator or perpetrators were known to Pate and had likely been invited inside. The investigation soon focused on two individuals: 23-year-old Victoria Hunter Slayton of Caledonia and 25-year-old Malcolm Marquiles Tawon Hill of Shannon. It was discovered that the two, who were in a romantic relationship, had conspired to rob Pate of drugs, a plan that ultimately escalated to murder. At the time of the crime, both Slayton and Hill were on parole for prior offenses.
Within days of the discovery of Pate's body, both Slayton and Hill were apprehended by the Columbus Police Department. Slayton was arrested after she came to the police department to answer questions, while Hill was taken into custody at a residence in east Columbus. They were both charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Markcus Pate.
Initially facing the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty, both Victoria Slayton and Malcolm Hill later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. In early 2022, Slayton was sentenced to 40 years in prison. A few months later, in May 2022, Hill received the same sentence for his role in the robbery and murder of Markcus Pate.
