Woman's body found in Wise County grave

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David Malone
Samantha McNorton

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November 21, 2012

Woman's body found in Wise County grave

Christin Coyne Weatherford Democrat The Weatherford Democrat Wed Nov 21, 2012, 08:00 AM CST

WEATHERFORD — Samantha Jo McNorton, a mother of three, went missing about a week and a half after she told Parker County authorities that the man she had been dating, David Wayne Malone, violently beat and sexually assaulted her at his Parker County home in late October.

The 28-year-old woman’s body was discovered Sunday in northern Wise County in a grave where Malone, 29, reportedly told authorities he buried her after stabbing and strangling her.

Parker County sheriff’s deputies were contacted Oct. 26 about the alleged assault that occurred at Malone’s Parker County home.

McNorton told the responding deputy that she and Malone had argued Oct. 25, so she left his residence in the 600 block of Lynch Bend Road.

Malone contacted her later that evening, “professed his love for her” and asked her to come back, court documents state.

She arrived back at his home at around 11 p.m., she reportedly told the deputy.

However, when she got there, he allegedly began calling her a “whore,” “slut,” and “skank.”

After making her remove her clothing, he forcefully sexually assaulted her, causing bleeding, the woman told deputies. He then kicked her in the genitals, threw her down in the shower, causing her to strike her back, kicked her in the chest, hit her in the face and spit on her, according to the arrest affidavit.

At some point, he struck her, causing her to lose consciousness, she told authorities.

When she awoke she was shaking, and after Malone eventually went to sleep, she fled the residence, calling her brother to pick her up.

McNorton was transported to the hospital in Azle before being sent to the hospital in Fort Worth for a sexual assault examination, according to Investigator Crystal Harrington.

Harrington wrote that she received the sexual assault exam report and noted that McNorton had lacerations from the sexual assault as well as bruising to her face, legs and back.

McNorton was seen Nov. 2 leaving with Malone in the Runaway Bay area, and she was last seen with him on Nov. 5, according to information from the Wise County Sheriff’s Office and an investigator’s statement.

Parker County authorities obtained arrest warrants Nov. 7 for Malone from Justice of the Peace Kelly Green for 2nd degree felony sexual assault and 3rd degree felony assault causing bodily injury family violence with a previous conviction.

However, McNorton was not reported missing until Nov. 14, when her family reported her missing to the Richland Hills police department, according to information from the Wise County Sheriff’s Office. McNorton had been staying with her uncle in Richland Hills.

Deputies from Parker and Wise counties, along with the Montague County District Attorney’s Office, located Malone in Cooke County on Nov. 15 and arrested him on the Parker County warrants, according to the Wise County Sheriff’s Office. He also had a warrant from Bowie for assault family violence, according to jail records.

Authorities transported Malone to Parker County, where he reportedly requested to speak with Wise County Investigator Joshua Reynolds.

Malone told Reynolds and a Texas Ranger that he was reponsible for intentionally killing McNorton by stabbing her with a knife and strangling her with his hands, the probable cause affidavit states.

He told authorities that he killed McNorton in southern Wise County before transporting her to the northern part of Wise County, where he buried the body, Reynolds wrote.

On Sunday, Malone provided information leading investigators to a remote location off of Greenwood Road where they found McNorton’s body, the sheriff’s office stated.

Malone was then charged with murder and transported to the Wise County Jail. Justice of the Peace Mandy Hays set his bond at $2 million, and Malone remained in jail as of Tuesday afternoon.