Suspect admits to strangling missing person to death

ANGELINA COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas man has been charged with murder in connection to a missing persons case. Officials said he admitted to killing one of the men by striking the victim in the head and then strangling him.

The Angelina County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1’s Office, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and the Lufkin Police Department began working on the missing persons case on Jan. 31, and began the search for Robert Saxton, 79, and Michael Allen, 44. In the next two months, an extensive investigation led to the Texas Rangers being called in to assist. John Wayne McCroskey, became a person of interest after officials learned he lived on the property at Saxton Auto Sales, where both victims had been reported missing.

Witnesses placed McCroskey with Saxton on Jan. 27 at around 9:30 a.m. in Saxton’s lime green vehicle. Surveillance video from a Lufkin motel confirmed that Saxton and McCroskey were together earlier that morning.

In early February, the Lufkin Police Department issued credit card abuse warrants for McCroskey after surveillance video from Lufkin and Nacogdoches businesses caught McCroskey using Saxton’s credit card without Saxton being present.

A few days later, cell phone data retrieved from Jan. 27, led law enforcement to Many, La., where records show, they found a body underneath a brush pile in a remote area.

“More surveillance video was ascertained from businesses along the route taken, and it showed that McCroskey was in the same lime green car,” the affidavit said. “The evidence video located along the route taken to LA was approximately two hours after McCroskey was seen with Saxton in Rivercrest.”

While McCroskey was in the Angelina County Jail for credit card abuse, the investigation continued to try and locate Allen. On Tuesday, McCroskey told investigators he wanted to cooperate with the missing persons case.

McCroskey, the affidavit stated, admitted to being involved in the disappearance case.

“McCroskey confessed to killing Robert Saxton with his hands and stated he chocked him until he was dead,” documents said. “McCroskey confirmed that he killed Mr. Saxton on the morning of Jan. 27 while they were in Rivercrest.”

The suspect reportedly told officials after he killed Saxton, he used the victim’s vehicle, and drove to Louisiana where he dumped his body and covered the body with the brush.

McCroskey has since been arrested on three counts of credit card abuse, theft of property, tampering or fabricating physical evidence and murder. He is being held at the Angelina County Jail on a $120,000 bond for the credit card abuse charges. A bond has not been set for the other charges.