Former Officer Found Guilty In Wife's Murder

The jury in the Sam Parker trial found him guilty of the murder of his estranged wife, Walker County 911 dispatcher Theresa Parker.

He was also found guilty Thursday of computer invasion of privacy and violation of oath of office. He was found not guilty of making false statements.

Parker was arrested in Feb. 2008 and has been in jail since then.

Sam Parker, a former sergeant with the LaFayette Police Department, has denied having anything to do with his estranged wife's disappearance.

Theresa Parker, 41, was last heard from the night of March 21, 2007. Her family reported her missing three days later.

Authorities said her car was still at her house, where she lived alone.

Sam Parker IM Mug Sam Parker

Parker was in the middle of a divorce from Sam Parker when she disappeared, and family members have said the couple had a history of domestic problems. According to 911 logs, police were called to the Parker residence for domestic disputes at least twice, once in 2002 and again in 2004.

Sam Parker was fired from his position as sergeant for the LaFayette Police Department because of the discovery of explosives in his work locker. The explosives were found during a search by the GBI on April 3, 2007.

The jury, which consisted of six women and six men, began deliberating about 3:30 p.m. Monday. It was selected from Bartow County because of heavy pretrial publicity in Walker County.

Theresa Parker's body has never been found.

Previous Stories: February 4, 2008: Missing Woman's Husband Charged With Her Murder