Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Unlawfully Wounding Stepfather in 2023

NORFOLK, Va. — Mark Edward Willis, 53, was sentenced on Friday to serve three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding for repeatedly hitting his stepfather in the head with ceramic tiles during an altercation last year.

On July 2, the victim heard yelling coming from his detached garage where his stepson, Mr. Willis, was living. There, the victim saw Mr. Willis arguing with a woman who had previously been banned from the victim’s property. When the victim attempted to call 911 to report the woman, she knocked the phone out of his hand. The victim restrained her on the ground in a wrestling hold to await the arrival of police. Mr. Willis then struck the victim over his head with ceramic tiles that had been sitting nearby, fracturing his skull, and causing multiple lacerations requiring staples to close. A neighbor then intervened to break up Mr. Willis’ attack, and Mr. Willis left the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Norfolk Police secured charges against Mr. Willis for felony malicious wounding and for misdemeanor simple assault of a family member. Mr. Willis’ mother, the victim’s wife, had died a few months before this incident. The victim informed the assigned prosecutor that he wished for Mr. Willis to be held accountable, but because of the longstanding relationship he has with Mr. Willis, the victim wished for a degree of mercy in how the Commonwealth addressed Mr. Willis’ case.

In accordance with the wishes of the victim, Mr. Willis entered an agreement on Jan. 29 to plead guilty to a lesser charge of felony unlawful wounding and for a judge to determine his sentence of no more than three years in prison.

On Friday, Judge Mary Jane Hall imposed that maximum sentence of three years in prison, plus two years suspended on the condition that Mr. Willis complete three years of uniform good behavior.

“Here in Norfolk, we always balance the need for public safety with the need to center the healing of our victims,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “The evidence in this case would have supported a much longer sentence than we sought, but being victim-centered does not mean just seeking the maximum sentence. It also means offering a measure of mercy to honor the wishes of a stepparent, as we have done here.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Tara Sue Terwilliger prosecuted Mr. Willis’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective David L. Todd led the investigation.

###