NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Gary Morton, 43, is accused of killing Marie Covington, a Virginia Beach woman reported missing over the weekend. 10 On Your Side has confirmed Morton was taken into custody early Saturday morning after a state police pursuit.
The charges against Morton are serious, leading us to wonder if he had previously been in trouble with the law.
Morton was actually out of jail on bond when he was arrested. He is currently being prosecuted on charges he abducted, strangled and beat a Norfolk woman. He is due in court in November on those charges.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi told WAVY Morton was granted bond in that case, partly because the victim had military obligations and could not attend several court dates, including the original trial start date in February 2022. The case was continued to November. Fatehi is now working to revoke bond and recommend no bond for the current charges against Morton.
Morton was also jailed for similar assault and battery charges against one woman in 2012 and another in 2017. Both of those cases were nolle prossed, which essentially means the charges were set aside. That can happen, for example, if a prosecutor decides there isn’t enough evidence or if a witness decides not to testify. In one of Morton’s cases, even though the charges were set aside, the woman later took out an emergency protective order.
Morton also has prior theft, assault and receiving stolen goods and drug charges — including some we tracked down in Pennsylvania.
10 On Your Side learned Morton went by two aliases: Daryl Waddell and Quadeem Butron.