BELL COUNTY, Texas — Jan. 5, 2019, was the day the Temple Police Department posted on Facebook asking for help locating Michael Swearingin and Jenna Scott. It was the start of a case that drew media attention from across the country.
The two friends were strangled to death by former mixed martial arts fighter Cedric Marks, Scott's former boyfriend, in January 2019. Marks was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders in 2023.
Even though Marks is facing his fate, the gruesome tragedy will always haunt Central Texas.
For the first time, the lead investigator on the case, Corey Powell, spoke more on the events to 6 News. He said recovering the bodies of Swearingin and Scott is something he will never forget.
"From the beginning, it was a complex case," Powell said. "For me, the strength was my faith and prayer. There was actually a story when we were flying out there. There was actually a story on the news that morning about a family that they had, their daughter had been abducted, and they had not recovered her. I just remember praying that didn't happen in this case. I think we knew what had happened. I kind of knew that they had been murdered by that point, but it was being able to recover Michael and Jenna for the family. It was a huge thing when Maya tells us where they're at, and then being able to go down there and it was, honestly, it was kind of surreal when we actually found them. The cruelness of it became reality. We went back, and we looked for April, and we haven't been able to find April, and that's hard."
RELATED: Temple double murder suspect Cedric Marks faces new charge for 2009 abduction of Minnesota woman
Five years later, the pain still runs deep.
"I can't imagine what the family goes through," Powell said. "There's those anniversaries that come up and the birthdays that you don't get to celebrate. You know, Jenna's family and Michael's family celebrated another Christmas without them."
For those who have lost a loved one, Powell encourages them to lean on family and community.
Along with prayer, that's what has kept the families of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin strong.
Jenna Scott's brother, Talon Scott, tries to remember all the good times.
"Jenna and Michael, they wouldn't want us to be sad and mopey," Talon Scott said.
Scott described his sister as empathic and understanding. She was going to school for counseling because she had been through so much herself and wanted to help others.
"I miss her insight," Talon Scott added. "Just talking to her, getting her opinion on something."
Talon Scott described Swearingin as the brother he never had. He says Swearingin's favorite thing to do was share new things he discovered, whether it be new music or a restaurant.
"He was so generous," Talon Scott added. "He was like, 'Hey, you want to go out to eat?' No question. He was going to pay for it. If you tried to go to pay for it, he's like, 'No, I invited you.'"
Five years ago, Scott said he knew Marks was the one who put the pair in danger. Today he feels more peace knowing justice has been served.
"Everybody that was close to Jenna knew that she was in danger, and they knew who the perpetrator was," Talon Scott added. "He literally told her what he was going to do. We're very thankful that we were able to get closure. I imagine there's quite a few people out there who have been through similar situations and, you know, they weren't as fortunate as we were to get as much attention on the case."
Swearingin's mother, Deborah Harrison, sent 6 News a statement:
Priceless Beginnings and helping domestic violence victims is how we are keeping their memories positive. Praying is the main way to make it through every day and knowing they are in heaven. My family continues to talk about Michael at family gatherings. We all know we will see him again!
Priceless Beginnings is a nonprofit set up by the families of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin to help other victims of domestic violence. For more information on the nonprofit, click here.
Powell says he hopes victims reach out for help to get out of hard situations.
"It's a pool of water," Powell said. "There's so many victims in this. Yes, Michael and Jenna. Yes, April, but there's this ripple effect that it affects so many people. Always trust your gut."
More on the case: