WARSAW, Ky. — As a detective testified in court how a mother, stabbed 15 times, had to crawl over the lifeless body of her son to run for help, Marco Allen Chapman sat with his head down and cried.

Marco Allen Chapman is escorted into the Gallatin County Courthouse Tuesday. (Patrick Reddy photos) | ZOOM |

        The Kentucky State Police detective who investigated the crime described Tuesday how the 31-year-old West Virginia native and former soccer coach allegedly killed two children, left a third child for dead and sexually assaulted and stabbed their mother.

        The details revealed at a preliminary hearing at the Gallatin County Courthouse, along with the fact police say they have found a blood-covered knife and have a taped statement, were enough for District Judge Charles Moore to send the case to a grand jury.

        Mr. Chapman has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, two counts of first-degree assault and one count of burglary. He is being held at the Carroll County Regional Detention Center in lieu of $50 million bond.

        Chelbi Sharon, 7, and Cody Sharon, 6, were killed inside their Warsaw home during the Aug. 23 attack.

        “Their throats were slashed and they bled to death,” Detective Todd Harwood said.

Harwood

        Their oldest sister, Courtney Sharon, 10, survived the attack by playing dead after the assailant missed her throat and slashed her ear.

        The mother of the children, Carolyn Marksberry, was stabbed 15 times but also survived.

        Detective Harwood said Mrs. Marksberry has told authorities that she let Mr. Chapman into her home sometime between 4:10 a.m. and 5:49 a.m.

        Mr. Chapman, described as an acquaintance who had played cards with his victims and done home improvement work at their house, allegedly told her he needed to use the phone.

        The detective didn't speculate about a motive.

        Neighbors and friends of the Marksberry family said after the killings that Mr. Chapman was angry with Mrs. Marksberry for counseling a friend to end a relationship — described as abusive — with Mr. Chapman.

        Once inside the house, Detective Harwood said, Mr. Chapman punched Mrs. Marksberry in the stomach, held a knife to her throat and robbed her of $120.

        The detective then testified that Mr. Chapman took Mrs. Marksberry to the master bedroom where he restrained her with duct tape and a vacuum cleaner cord before sexually assaulting her.

With a photo of his murdered grandchildren pinned to his shirt, Garry Sharon sat in the front row of the courtroom Tuesday | ZOOM |

        Courtney told police her mother's calls for help woke her up, Detective Harwood said. He said Courtney went into the hallway to find her younger brother Cody saying their mother was hurt.

        But before the two children could get help, Detective Harwood said, Mr. Chapman took them to the kitchen and attacked them with a serrated-edged knife.

        Detective Harwood said Courtney described how she witnessed Mr. Chapman stabbing her younger brother.

        “She (Courtney) said ... she played dead and was able to see him turn on Cody and stab him as well,” Detective Harwood said. “She indicated Cody fell to the ground.”

        Detective Harwood said Mrs. Marksberry crawled over Cody's body, out the door of her home and to a neighbor's home to try to get help after Mr. Chapman had left her for dead.

        Detective Harwood said Mrs. Marksberry told him during an interview that she had to listen to the horror. “She said she could hear her kids screaming,” he said.

        After Mr. Chapman left, fleeing for West Virginia, Mrs. Marksberry gnawed through her restraints and crawled to a neighbor's home.

        “She crawled onto the neighbor's porch and used her head to bang on the door,” he said.

        Chelbi was found dead in a bedroom in the home, the detective said.

        Detective Harwood said that when West Virginia authorities picked up Mr. Chapman after being alerted by Kentucky officials, he confessed to the crimes on tape.

        State police escorted Mr. Chapman into the courthouse in Warsaw for his preliminary hearing as about 10 residents gathered across the street at the local hardware store to watch.

        Inside the courtroom, about a dozen additional police officers and a metal detector were on hand for Mr. Chapman's first court appearance in the small Ohio River community where the killings took place. Mr. Chapman was captured by authorities in Shrewsbury, W. Va., the day of the attacks.

        The gallery of about 20 citizens, including the slain children's grandfather, Garry Sharon, didn't speak as Detective Harwood reconstructed the crime from what the two survivors of the attack told authorities.

        Detective Harwood indicated Mr. Chapman had shown no remorse for the crimes he was charged with before the preliminary hearing.

        The detective, who helped drive Mr. Chapman back to Kentucky, said he made jokes about his next cellmate and suggested the best route to take to get back to Warsaw.

        Gallatin County Commonwealth Attorney Linda Tally Smith said the county grand jury is not scheduled to meet until Sept. 23, but there may be a time conflict then and it may be October before the jury considers the charges against Mr. Chapman. Ms. Smith said she may seek the death penalty.

        Public defender John Delaney, who was appointed to represent Mr. Chapman, said he will not press for a speedy trial. Assisting Mr. Delaney is Jim Gibson, who is a death-penalty specialist in the public defender's office in Frankfort.

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