In August 2020, 12-year-old Robert Baker and 14-year-old Tayten Baker were found murdered in their home in Melrose, Florida, by their mother, Sarah Baker. The perpetrator was Mark Howard Wilson Jr., 30, who at the time of his arrest was the boyfriend of Cindy Guinan, the boys' aunt and Sarah Baker's sister.
Wilson and Guinan, along with their infant daughter, had been living in a shed on the Bakers' property before the murders occurred. According to court documents, Wilson beat both boys with a hammer and cut their throats with a fillet knife. The murder weapons—bearing the victims' blood—were recovered as evidence, along with a note from Wilson linking him to the crime.
When arrested in August 2020, Putnam County Sheriff described Wilson as a "sick monster." Wilson subsequently confessed to both his mother and law enforcement. In his confession, he claimed he believed the boys were abusing his daughter, a claim that would later feature prominently in legal proceedings.
The trial took place over three days in October 2022. On October 13, 2022, a jury unanimously found Wilson guilty on two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. He was also convicted on two counts of burglary—specifically, burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery committed during the offense and burglary while armed with a weapon.
During the penalty phase, the jury unanimously found an aggravating factor: that the murders were committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner. In 2023, Judge Howard McGillin imposed the death penalty, citing Wilson's refusal to plead guilty as a contributing factor. Wilson also received a consecutive life sentence for burglary while armed.
Wilson appealed his conviction and sentence to the Florida Supreme Court. His legal team raised several arguments in his defense, including that his methamphetamine use should be considered a mitigating factor. However, the appellate court found only "scant proof" of this claim and noted that observations showed he was not under the influence at the time of the murders. Wilson's appeal also included a general opposition to the death penalty.
On Thursday, in a decision that reaffirmed the lower court's judgment, the Florida Supreme Court denied Wilson's appeal and upheld both death sentences. The court rejected all of his appellate arguments, affirming the jury's findings of cold, calculated, and premeditated murder and supporting Judge McGillin's decision to impose capital punishment.
