Virginia Beach police reviewing their response to report of missing woman later found dead

The Virginia Beach Police Department is reviewing its handling of the missing person investigation that followed the disappearance of Marie Covington, who was found dead in Norfolk on Saturday.

The inquiry will focus on the “timeline of our initial response, reporting, and public notification” surrounding the search for Covington, according to a statement provided by the department. Covington was reported missing at 10:25 p.m. on Aug. 18, after having last been seen with 43-year-old Gary Morton the previous day.

Two days after the missing persons report was filed, Covington was found dead and Morton was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Morton was arrested by Virginia State Police after troopers attempted a traffic stop for a moving violation on a vehicle. Morton was driving and refused to stop, police said, and the state police chased him until he stopped in Norfolk. State police then notified Virginia Beach that the vehicle was connected to Covington’s disappearance.

As the investigation continued, detectives came to believe that foul play was involved, and Virginia Beach police requested that state police issue an Ashanti Alert. The alert was issued around 10:45 p.m. Aug. 20 and warned that Covington’s disappearance posed a “credible threat” to her own health and safety.

Investigators followed the trail of evidence to a residence in Norfolk where they found Covington, dead from “apparent homicidal violence,” according to police.

At 7:52 a.m. the next morning, the alert was cancelled. State police referred questions about the cancellation to Virginia Beach.

Morton has been charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in Covington’s death. He is being held without bond at the Chesapeake City Jail.

He was due in court Thursday, but online court records show an arraignment was continued. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 19.

Gavin Stone, [email protected]