Man Pleads Guilty To 2019 Murder Of Jennifer Sparks In Germantown

GERMANTOWN, MD — Germantown resident Lawrence Sakkestad, 35, has pleaded guilty to first degree murder in the 2019 slaying of Jennifer Sparks, 39, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's office announced.

State's Attorney John McCarthy said the "gruesome murder" occurred on Sept. 9, 2019. Officers responded to a 911 call and found Sparks on Sakkestad's apartment bathroom floor with a hole in her head and cuts on her neck, "obviously deceased." Sakkestad was at the apartment, naked and covered in blood, and told the officers he had killed her, according to McCarthy's press release.

The person who called 911 had been staying at Sakkestad's apartment at the time, according to McCarthy, and saw Sakkestad and Sparks come home, consume drugs and engage in sexual activity. The person then left and returned later that evening with several other people to find the door locked. When Sakkestad answered the door he was naked and covered in blood, and told them he was robbed at 7-Eleven.

The caller said they went inside and noticed Sparks' purse on the ground, but Sakkestad would not say where she was. One of the friends with the caller noticed the bathroom door was locked and forced the it open, finding Sparks on the ground.

Sakkestad admitted to police he lied about 7-Eleven and had used a pipe wrench to bludgeon Sparks and a pocket knife to cut her throat, McCarthy said in the release. Police say Sakkestad told them it was unprovoked, and voices in his head told him to kill Sparks.

Sakkestad is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 27.