After his father became engaged to the lady barely 11 months after the teen’s mother died, an Alabama adolescent was sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing his doctor father’s new fiancée in a fit of wrath.
Ross McFarland, 18, pleaded guilty to the murder of instructor Martha Jones ‘Marti’ White, 66, in Auburn, Alabama on October 17, 2019.
At the time of the murder, he was 16 years old.
McFarland ‘harbored anger’ toward the lady who became engaged to his father, Dr. John McFarland, barely 11 months after his mother died, according to Lee County officials.
Donna McFarland was a scientist who died in November 2018 aged just 45. She was a microbiology graduate who’d been married to John McFarland for 22 years.
She had two other children besides Ross, who are called Avery and Samuel.
Donna McFarland’s Facebook profile, which has not been updated since before her death, lists her relationship status as separated.
Police in the city of Auburn responded to a home and found White dead on the floor with a gunshot wound to her face.
White was herself a mother of two and grandmother of five, as well as a retired teacher from the city’s school district.
White’s daughter Elizabeth Chaisson released a statement.
‘Today, we moved closer to obtaining justice for our dear mother, Marti White. She was a faithful and committed servant to ALL the children in her life, from her countless numbers of young students to her beloved family, children, and precious grandchildren,’ said Chaisson.
‘She dedicated her life to loving and showing compassion to those who needed it most. To the end of her life, she sacrificed herself to help children in need. While we know this is a step towards earthly justice, we will never know true peace and justice until we meet again,’ she added.
When authorities investigated the case, they found a .40-caliber handgun from Smith & Wesson missing from Dr. McFarland’s home.
They eventually found a witness who was a close friend of Ross McFarland, who said they saw McFarland shoot White when she turned her head to look away, News 19 said.
Ross, the witness said, picked up the bullet’s shell casing and fled.
Investigators said McFarland admitted to fantasizing about killing other people in his community, including children, in a statement after his arrest.
McFarland was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was denied youthful offender status despite having no prior criminal record.
John McFarland serves as medical director at Lee County Sheriff’s Office. He also works as an ER doctor at East Alabama Medical Center.
McFarland has since remarried, to a retiree called Kathy Timberlake.