Man pleads guilty to helping wife flee after Hickory furniture plant murder

HICKORY, N.C. — A man accused of helping his wife evade authorities pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday.

Eric Parker was charged with accessory after the fact for helping Tangela Parker, who was sentenced in September after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

Tangela Parker will spend 24 to 30 years in prison for the deadly 2021 shooting of her coworker at Hickory furniture plant TCS Designs. She shot and killed Michelle Marlow using a 357 Magnum on Jan. 13, 2021, over a “petty workplace argument,” prosecutors said.

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Eric Parker, who was a supervisor at the company, helped his wife flee from authorities.

“He grabbed the murder weapon from her and escorted her out the business,” prosecutor Timothy Gould said. “The defendant determined he was not going to allow Tangela to be apprehended by law enforcement.”

The couple was arrested in August 2021 after eluding authorities for six months. They had fled North Carolina and spent months on the run before U.S. Marshals caught up with them at a home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Authorities said the couple had changed their appearances and names, and were living under the fake names of Jason and Elizabeth Reardon.

Investigators said the couple fled in their Honda CRV, living for 11 weeks in their car and taking odd jobs, including working at a ranch, to survive. They changed the tag on their Honda and found a room on Craigslist and were renting it at the time of their arrest.

A phone call to Tangela Parker’s parents led to the couple’s capture in Arizona.

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Prosecutors said after the shooting, Eric Parker took the murder weapon from his wife and helped her leave the state.

Eric Parker’s attorney said Parker had no idea his wife planned to kill Marlow until it happened and that he was worried for her safety.

“This is not a criminal mind,” said Cynthia Geolling, Eric Parker’s attorney, Tuesday. “This is someone that was fearful and loved his wife.”

The judge sentenced Parker to 48 to 75 months of prison time.

Marlow’s family members believe without Eric Parker’s help, Tangela Parker wouldn’t have gotten far after the murder.

“Absolutely, not,” said Christina Walker, the victim’s sister. “She wouldn’t have been able to make it. She wouldn’t have been able to work or fend for herself.”

“If he would have done the right thing, he wouldn’t be where he’s at now,” said Justin Marlow, the victim’s husband.

Eric Parker’s attorney said despite all that has happened, he still loves Tangela Parker and hopes to be with her again once she has served her 20-year prison sentence.

(WATCH PREVIOUS: Woman pleads guilty to killing coworker at Hickory plant, sentenced to 20 years)