The Murder of Marlisa Wells
For this case, I watched an episode of Grave Secrets. It’s season 1 episode 9, titled ‘The Last Calls She Made.’
A 16-year-old girl is found dead in her grandparent’s home.
Background
Marlisa Wells was born in 1991. When she was a teenager, she went to live with her grandparents, and was living with them at the time of her death. Marlisa’s grandparents were more strict, religious and into education. They just wanted the best for her, and she seemed to enjoy living with them.
Marlisa was very good at singing, and her mom, Erica, said she had a big infectious smile.
Marlisa Wells
The 911 Call
On January 19, 2008, Marlisa’s grandfather called the police. He told the dispatcher that someone had broken into their house, and “someone stabbed my baby.” He said that Marlisa was bleeding to death, and not breathing.
Natalie Poulk with the Austell, Georgia police received the call that a young 16-year-old had been found in her grandparents house. The police had no idea that the crime scene would be one of the worst they’d ever seen.
There was no sign of forced entry, but a sliding back door was slightly open. The attack had started in the kitchen, and a knife drawer had been rifled through. There was a blood trail leading from the kitchen to the basement bathroom. There was a small amount of blood on the banister and stairs leading to the basement.
Marlisa had been stabbed about 60 times, and had multiple blunt force injuries and skull fractures to the head. As if Marlisa hadn’t been through enough, a bent fork was found in her back.
In a garbage can in the bathroom, the police found several bloody knives. They were collected, and sent in for testing.
A Secret Boyfriend
The police canvassed the area, and spoke to several neighbors. One neighbor said they thought they had seen a green car driven by a black male in the neighborhood. However, this turned out to be a dead end.
Another neighbor said they had seen Marlisa sneaking a boy into her grandparent’s house. The neighbor knew that Marlisa wasn't allowed to date, so she definitely wouldn’t have been allowed to have boys over.
The police spoke to Marlisa’s closest friend, Sarai, who revealed that Marlisa spoke about a boy named Matthew Wilkins. Sarai said she had never met Matthew, but Marlisa often told her about her future plans with Matthew.
Matthew Wilkins was 19-years-old at the time, and was attending college at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. Matthew was a very good basketball player, and came from a good family.
Marlisa and Matthew stayed in frequent contact, and Marlisa was doing anything she could to keep Matthew. However, Matthew also had another girlfriend, who eventually broke up with him after finding out about Marlisa.
Marlisa’s Secrets
The police looked into Marlisa’s phone records. They also looked for her cell phone, but didn’t find it in her belongings. They came to the conclusion that whoever had killed her had probably taken it.
Marlisa’s phone records revealed that she and Matthew had been in contact almost everyday up until the day she was killed.
The police went to speak to Matthew. Instead of being in his dorm room, he was actually in town at his childhood home. A search warrant was obtained. The police eventually found some clothing and sneakers behind the furnace. It didn’t seem like the clothing or shoes had blood on them, but they were sent in for testing.
The police learned from Marlisa’s brother, that Marlisa was being threatened by Matthew. He had overheard a phone conversation, and had discovered some threats on social media.
The police spoke to Sarai again. Sarai revealed that Marlisa had told her she was pregnant, and wanted to keep the baby. Marlisa had invited Matthew over to her house on January 19, while her grandparents were out. Sarai said she found out that Marlisa was killed by another friend at school the following week. Sarai said she did a Google search about what happened, and really wish she wouldn’t have seen the details.
The Trial and Conviction
The police didn’t have any evidence against Matthew, until the testing on the sneakers revealed that there were spots of Marlisa’s blood on them.
Matthew Wilkins was arrested and charged with murder. It’s believed that Matthew went into a rage after Marlisa told him that she was pregnant, and thought it was ruin his new life in college.
At trial, the prosecution revealed that Matthew and Marlisa had sex on the day of her murder. He then brutally attacked and killed her. Marlisa had thought she was pregnant, but she wasn’t.
Matthew was found guilty of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison.
Matthew Wilkins
FINAL THOUGHTS
Marlisa was 16, and obviously head over heels in love with her first crush. Marlisa believed she was pregnant, and she thought Matthew would want to start a family with her. Matthew thought he was the shit, and thought that a baby would ruin his basketball career and his chances to date other girls. Matthew left Marlisa to be discovered by her loving grandparents, and her grandfather’s 911 call is very hard to listen to. Marlisa deserves to still be here today, but instead she was killed over nothing.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/marlisa-wells-murder-where-is-matthew-wilkins-now/
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ga-supreme-court/1611618.html
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/boyfriend-convicted-murdering-austell-teen/7drVNvFwBAqeXvGzUTH2yK/
