On August 17, 2022, Marie Darshaun Covington, a 40-year-old female, was last seen in the Thalia Trace Drive area of Virginia Beach. An 'Ashanti Alert' was issued for her as a critically missing adult who might be in danger. Tragically, her body was discovered on the evening of August 20, 2022, in a trash can in the 1000 block of Galt Street in Norfolk.
The medical examiner later confirmed that Covington had died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation into her disappearance and death quickly led authorities to a suspect: her boyfriend, Gary Morton. Covington's daughters last saw their mother on August 17, 2022, when they witnessed Morton dragging her to her car, assaulting her, and driving away. A high-speed pursuit of Covington's vehicle, driven by Morton, ended in his arrest. Inside the car, police found two guns and an open container of liquor.
Following his arrest, Morton confessed to shooting and killing Covington and hiding her body in a trash can. He claimed the shooting was accidental, occurring after a road rage incident where he alleged he was protecting her. However, prosecutors argued that the physical evidence did not align with his version of events. During the investigation, it was revealed that Morton had a violent past and was out on bond for allegedly strangling another woman.
Gary Morton was charged with first-degree murder, abduction by force, and concealment of a dead body, among other charges. In October 2023, a Norfolk judge found Morton guilty of all charges, describing him as 'sure and calculating' and noting he did not appear contrite. On December 15, 2023, Morton was sentenced to a total of 106 years and 10 months in prison for the murder of Marie Covington and other unrelated charges.
