‘He attacked these kids without mercy’; Suspect arrested in brutal murder of Putnam County brothers

Jacksonville, Fl — A man who is well known to a Putnam County family has been arrested for killing two young brothers. Deputies say Mark Wilson Jr. is charged with two counts of first degree murder for Wednesday’s death of 12-year-old Robert Baker and 14-year-old Tayten Baker.

Both boys were found inside their Melrose home by their mom. Sheriff Gator DeLoach says investigators have recovered two weapons, a hammer and a knife. But he stopped short of saying what may have motivated the killings.

“He attacked these kids without mercy”, said State Attorney RJ Larizza. He said this case is worthy of the death penalty, pending a thorough review of the evidence and consultation with the family, which had moved to Putnam County only 16 days earlier.

On Thursday, Action News Jax Reporter Ryan Nelson spoke to the boys’ grandfather in an interview. He asked not to be identified.

“They were very horrific events, you know, I woke up to my daughter frantic,” he said.

He says he went inside the house on Shiloh. “I ripped the screen door open and I just screamed, ‘no,’ after I seen my grandson Robert, and my grandson Tayten was by the pool table, laying there,” he said. “And they were both deceased.”

Family members went on to say the boys’ father is a truck driver and was not home at the time, and investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday.

Family tells Action News Jax the boys and their parents moved into the home on Shiloh Road from Lakeland in recent weeks to be closer to relatives.

Deputies say the boys’ mother and father are fully cooperating with detectives and are not considered persons of interest.

Cox Media Group