ABC 20/20 “The Barefoot Witness” May 22 2026

ABC’s 20/20 revisits a heartbreaking Louisiana murder case in “The Barefoot Witness,” airing Friday, May 22, 2026, at 9/8c on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Reported by co-anchor Deborah Roberts, the two-hour broadcast examines the shocking killing of Baton Rouge educator Lyntell Washington, whose death stunned her community and left investigators following clues provided by her young daughter.

Washington was a respected teacher and school administrator who had earned recognition as Teacher of the Year. In June 2016, concern quickly spread after a passerby discovered her 3-year-old daughter wandering barefoot and alone through a Louisiana parking lot with blood on her feet. Authorities soon realized the child’s mother was missing, launching an urgent search that lasted several days.

Investigators later discovered Lyntell Washington’s body in a remote ditch in Iberville Parish. She had been shot in the head and was pregnant at the time of her death. Detectives soon focused on a disturbing statement reportedly made by the little girl, who repeatedly said “Mr. Robbie” had hurt her mother. That clue eventually led authorities to Dr. Robert Marks, an assistant principal who worked with Washington at the same school.

According to prosecutors, Marks and Washington had been involved in a secret workplace affair before the relationship turned deadly. Investigators alleged Marks killed Washington in an effort to hide the affair and avoid public exposure. The case drew widespread attention throughout Louisiana because of both Washington’s standing in the education community and the tragic circumstances surrounding her young daughter witnessing events connected to the crime.

The 20/20 special includes interviews with Washington’s close friend and former supervisor Jamicia Pink-Fisher, along with jurors who served during the trial. The episode also features exclusive surveillance footage, police interrogation recordings, and emotional interviews with witnesses, including the woman who first found the wandering child. Authorities involved in the investigation, including District Attorney Tony Clayton and Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi, also discuss how the evidence led to Marks’ arrest and conviction.

“The Barefoot Witness” explores the devastating consequences of betrayal, the emotional impact on Washington’s loved ones, and the extraordinary role played by a child whose words became one of the investigation’s most important breakthroughs.