Man gets wish: Death penalty

BURLINGTON - A man who killed two children in a brutal attack on a Northern Kentucky family in 2002 was sentenced to death yesterday at his own request.

Marco Chapman, 33, pleaded guilty last week to the murders of Cody Sharon, 6, and Chelbi Sharon, 7. He had asked the judge to give him a death sentence.

The children's mother, Carolyn Marksberry, who also was attacked, described Chapman as a "monster" during the sentencing hearing yesterday. Her voice was steady and she displayed little emotion.

"For many children, the word monster is enough that it requires no name. Our monster has a name," she said.

Marksberry showed family pictures of her slain children to Chapman and Boone County Circuit Judge Tony Frohlich. She also asked Frohlich to impose the death penalty.

Marksberry said she promised her daughter Courtney Sharon, 12, who survived the attacks, that she would be safe and that Chapman would not return to attack them again.

"My promise to Courtney is she will be safe and able to sleep in her bed at night," Marksberry said.

Chapman, dressed in a black-and-white striped inmate uniform and shackled at the hands and feet, sat motionless as the death sentence was handed down.

He apologized to Marks-berry and her husband, Chuck Marksberry, who were acquaintances of his before the killings in rural Gallatin County.

"All I know is, I can't undo what I've done," Chapman said after he was sentenced to death. "She may not believe it or anybody else, but I did love those kids. I loved them very much."

Chapman also was charged with attacking Carolyn Marksberry and Courtney Sharon. He also pleaded guilty to those charges last week.

Authorities said Chapman was upset with Marksberry because she told Chapman's girlfriend to end a relationship with him.

During the sentencing, Kentucky State Police detective Todd Harwood described the Aug. 23, 2002, slayings, noting that Chapman used multiple knives to kill the two children and attack the two survivors.

"In fact, Chapman had to stop his attack (on Carolyn Marksberry) twice because he kept breaking knives and had to go to the kitchen to get more knives," Harwood said.

Chapman, who served 57 months in federal prison for bank robbery before the slayings, thanked Frohlich for accepting his plea and imposing a death sentence.

"I know it was a hard decision for you to make," Chapman said.

Frohlich said the case was a tough one because Chapman was asking for a death sentence. But the judge said he could find no legal reason not to grant Chapman's request.

"I've really found not much to guide this court," Frohlich said. "A person must be allowed to exercise their free will so long as their choice is a legal one."

The case was moved to Boone County after defense attorneys argued that Chapman could not get a fair trial in Gallatin County, where the crimes occurred.

The Marksberrys left the courthouse without commenting. Commmonwealth's Attorney Linda Tally Smith said they asked to be left alone after the hearing, particularly for the benefit of Courtney Sharon.

Smith said it could be a year or more before Chapman would be executed. That's because the state Supreme Court automatically reviews death sentences, and the state Department of Public Advocacy is likely to pursue appeals on Chapman's behalf, Smith said.

Lisa Lamb, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said Chapman will be moved from the Boone County Jail to the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville once the state receives the paperwork from Frohlich.