NORFOLK, Va. — Editor's Note: A previous version of this story said that Gary Morton's second-degree murder charge was dropped in addition to his guilty plea. Prosecutors tell 13News Now that the dropped charge was a procedural decision to allow Morton to be charged with first-degree murder instead.
The man accused of killing a Virginia Beach woman and dumping her body in a trash pleaded guilty to concealing a dead body on Tuesday.
Gary Morton is accused of killing 40-year-old Marie Covington in August of 2022. Covington's family last saw her on August 17th of that year. Days later, Virginia State Police issued a Critically Missing Adult Alert -- also known as an "Ashanti Alert" -- for Covington. Police found her shot to death a short time later.
Morton was arrested the day Covington's body was found.
On the first day of his trial Tuesday, Morton pleaded guilty to the felony charge of concealing a dead body. However, he remains on trial for first-degree murder, two charges of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, one charge of abduction, one charge of attempted malicious wounding, and a charge of shooting at an occupied vehicle.
Virginia State Police Trooper Trey Mills testified that on the day of his arrest, Morton led troopers on a 23-minute car chase with speeds reaching up to 115 mph. Dashcam video captured the entire thing and prosecutors played the video in court.
Mills said Morton sped away from his patrol car, ran red lights, and swerved through traffic. His dashcam video shows the chase happened on I-64 West and neighborhoods in Chesapeake and Norfolk.
Mills testified Morton eventually got out of the car after the high-speed chase and ran away, hopping a fence, before Mills caught him and took him into custody in Norfolk near Chesapeake Boulevard.
Mills said he discovered the SUV Morton drove belonged to Covington.
The video shows Mills asking Morton: “Do you know Marie Covington? She was last seen with you.”
Morton replies: “No.”
The dashcam video shows Morton telling troopers, “I have nothing to do with the owner of that vehicle.”
Mills testified he found guns and men’s and women’s clothing inside the vehicle.
Also on the stand Tuesday morning: Covington’s daughter testified about the day she last saw her mother alive. She said she saw her mother and Morton arguing in the car and she saw Morton hit Covington twice in the face. She said Covington tried to get out of the car but Morton sped off with her inside.
The prosecution asked, “Did [Morton] make any threats to kill [Covington] in the past?”
The daughter answered: “Yes.”
A court already convicted Morton of assault, strangulation, and other charges, stemming from an attack in Downtown Norfolk back in September 2020. He's set to be sentenced on those charges in December.
Regardless of the outcome of this week's trial, Morton will be sentenced for his guilty plea at a later date.