BELL COUNTY, Texas — The fourth week of the Cedric Marks trial kicked off with a lot of emotion on Tuesday as Marks' alleged accomplice and former girlfriend, Maya Maxwell, took the stand.
When Maxwell shared her testimony, she was in tears and visibly shaking. She says she saw Marks kill his former girlfriend, Jenna Scott, and her friend, Michael Swearingin in front of her own eyes.
After diving into her history with Marks, Maxwell spoke about her first personal interaction with Scott.
In September 2018, Maxwell says she came down to Texas with Marks because of a protective order hearing with Scott.
Prosecutors asked if Maxwell said anything to Scott. Maxwell said in tears she said something not very pleasant to Scott while Scott was leaving the Bell County Justice Center with her father.
"At the time I didn't like her," Maxwell said, "solely based on what Mr. Marks said."
Leading up to the disappearance, Maxwell testified Marks wanted to confront Scott. However, she told him to stay away.
"Mr. Marks was upset and kept himself isolated," Maxwell testified. "He shut himself in the bedroom, wouldn't answer anyone."
Flash forward to 2019, and Maxwell testified Marks wanted to turn himself in because of a warrant. Maxwell was trying to support Marks after seeing him in isolation, so she went with him.
On Jan. 1, 2019, the two drove 19 hours from Michigan to Texas and stayed at Rebecca Adney's house in Killeen. Adney is another former girlfriend who testified earlier in court.
On Jan. 3, 2019 Marks and Maxwell went to Temple. Maxwell says Marks insisted on meeting with a friend named Alex.
Maxwell dropped him at the side of what she thought was Alex's house. Prosecution showed pictures of Swearingin's home. Maxwell confirmed this is where she dropped Marks at.
Maxwell says she assumed Marks was cheating because he wasn't answering her messages and wasn't communicating for hours.
Maxwell went into the house through the gate and saw no lights on.
Maxwell says she she witnessed Scott handcuffed to a desk laying face down. As soon as Maxwell shared this to the jury, Scott's mother walked out in tears.
"It wasn't what I thought," Maxwell said.
Maxwell then went back to Adney's house and waited for hours. Marks asked her to buy trash bags. After she bought trash bags at a Walmart, she waited a few more hours for Marks. She says he told her to calm down, and that he would be over soon.
Marks came in through the garage hours later with both Swearingin and Scott at Adney's house. The two were handcuffed and Marks was asking questions about his PR bond.
He put Scott in the bathroom and Swearingin in the master bathroom. Marks said he was going to bring them home after asking questions.
Swearingin thanked Marks, but those would be his last words. Swearingin's mother had her head down as family and friends were hugging her in support.
Maxwell testified Marks put Swearingin in a chokehold.
"It went on forever," Maxwell testified. "His eyes were different after."
Maxwell says she sat on the floor crying, begged Marks to stop and said he didn't have to do this. Marks told her to look away.
After choking him for a few minutes, Swearingin was gone. Maxwell says Marks then tied up Scott.
"I was right next to her," Maxwell cried. "She got scared, her eyes got big."
He said ready and shut the door.
"I heard the same sounds that Michael made,” Maxwell said.
Prosecutors asked why she never contacted law enforcement. Maxwell testified she was terrified and didn't want Marks to hurt her.
Marks then put the bodies in trash bags with electrical tape.
Maxwell says she drove the red Jeep with the bodies in the back while Marks drove Swearingin's vehicle to put it in another location. She says Marks wanted to drop off the vehicle at a dangerous neighborhood in Austin so fingers wouldn't point back to him.
He stayed on the phone with Maxwell the entire way to Austin and told her not to contact anyone. Prosecutors asked why she didn't take an exit. Maxwell says again she was terrified.
Before dropping off the car in Austin, Marks cleaned up Swearingin's vehicle with peroxide and cleaning wipes. Adney's house would be cleaned up after. Maxwell says it took Marks over an hour to clean everything up.
"He was mopping up floors, using lots of peroxide, wiping down surfaces in the bathroom and bathtubs," Maxwell said. "He had on white rubber disposable gloves. He was very thorough."
The next stop would be in Oklahoma on Jan 4. 2019. Before burying the bodies, the two stopped at a WinStar in Oklahoma.
According to Maxwell, Marks told her if anyone questioned him, he will just say he was at the casino, "because who would carry bodies in the back of their car and go to a casino?"
Maxwell and Marks drove to Clearview, Oklahoma where Marks had family gatherings. They stopped at a Walmart in Henryetta and bought sweatpants, sweatshirts, shoes, shovel.
Maxwell testified Marks bought a smaller shoe size in case law enforcement ever compared foot prints to his.
On the evening of Jan. 4, 2019, Marks found a burial site on his abandoned family property in the middle of nowhere. Prosecutors asked how Marks' demeanor was at the time.
"He was just very focused, almost euphoric, talkative, he wanted to finish what he started," Maxwell said.
Maxwell says she watched Marks break the chain on the gate as he started to search for a place to bury the bodies. He found a patch further on the property and told Maxwell to hold the flashlight while he dug up soil.
She says once he was satisfied he used an extension cord and dragged Swearingin onto the burial site. He took off the trash bags and told Maxwell not to look.
"I was a hysterical mess, I was told to be quiet," Maxwell said.
He then put Swearingin in the hole and covered his faced with a hoodie.
Maxwell says Marks then put Scott over his shoulder and removed trash bags and tape over her mouth.
When he put the two in the hole, he put Scott face down on Swearingin because he believed Scott and Swearingin had a relationship.
Maxwell testified the reason he killed them was because Marks claimed Scott cheated on him with Swearingin.
Both families and Maxwell were filled with tears, emotion and heartbreak as they recalled the last moments, words and breaths of the two victims.
Trial resumes Wednesday at the Bell County Justice Center where Marks will cross examine Maxwell.