Greenville, MS— Marcus Lindsey, Sr., 55 of Greenville was sentenced to twenty-five years following his guilty plea on Tuesday, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson announced today.
In November of 2015, officers of the Greenville Police Department were called to the area of Roosevelt St. in reference to a welfare concern involving a minor. The patrolmen had cleared the call as resolved and were getting back in service when they were flagged down by a friend of the victim who advised that the actual reason for the call was sexual abuse by Lindsey.
An investigation followed and the minor disclosed that Lindsey had been sexually abusing them for a long-time. Detectives with the Department’s Criminal Investigation Division who specialized in the investigation of sexual assault spoke with the young teenager who disclosed the details of the abuse. Lindsey was later indicted, but due to possible mental health concerns, the trial was postponed. Because of Mississippi’s over-burdened criminal justice and mental health systems, the justice sought by the victim and their family was delayed for what would turn out to be almost a decade while the required evaluations were completed. In the end, the expert forensic psychologists dispelled any concerns that the defendant was not competent to stand trial.
Lindsey appeared in the Circuit Court of Washington County on Tuesday for trial, but pled guilty before opening statements. He was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Richard Smith to the District Attorney’s recommendation of twenty-five (25) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kaylon McCou and Austin Frye. “Although it is very unfortunate that the victim in this case had to wait almost ten years for justice, I am glad that it was found in the end. It is our hope that our state leaders will address the critical need to provide additional resources to all arms of the criminal justice system, especially in the delta, so that no other victim has to wait this long for justice,” McCou added.
The District Attorney’s office is thankful for the courage of the victim’s friend to alert law enforcement, the diligent work of the officers and investigators with the Greenville Police Department, and the strength and patience of the victim who remained steadfast as this case navigated its way through the process.