Chocolate Penis May Save Death Row Inmate

Marcus Wellons, now 57, was convicted of murder in 1993.

The lawyer for a Georgia death row inmate says a penis-shaped chocolate could play a crucial role in setting her client free.

Marcus Wellons, now 57, was sentenced to death in June 1993, after his conviction in the 1989 rape and strangling murder of 15-year-old India Roberts.

Wellons' trial cannot be considered fair, argues his lawyer, Mary Elizabeth Wells, because the judge and bailiff received gifts of erotically-shaped chocolate from jurors, according to the Atlantic Journal-Constitution.

Juror Mary Jo Hooper told the paper she had ordered a box of chocolates to share with jury members and courtroom employees. The candy store employee, a friend of Hopper's, included one piece of chocolate shaped like a penis in an attempt at humor.

Hooper, now 63, claims Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley expressed her curiosity after hearing about the candy phallus, the Seattle Times reported. Hooper then gave it to her as a gift when the trial was over.

Additionally, bailiff Loretta Perry allegedly received a piece of chocolate shaped like women's breasts. Hooper maintains that there were no breast-shaped chocolates in her order, and no other juror has owned up to such a gift.

Wells says the whole ordeal indicates the jury was not taking the murder trial seriously.

"This is even embarrassing to discuss in open court," she told judges on Friday. "This is not dignified."

Wells also alleges that the gifts were "evidence of the jury's racial bias" against the black Wellons, according to the Los Angeles Times. The candy penis was made out of white chocolate, according to the Associated Press.

Appeals for Wellons were initially rejected by several courts. In 2010, however, the Supreme Court ordered a federal review panel to take another look at the case, noting that a death penalty case "must be conducted with dignity and respect."

11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta is expected to announce its decision in upcoming months.

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WATCH: Bear With Sweet Tooth Breaks Into Chocolate Shop

Screenshot of one lucky black bear who found his way into an empty candy shop.

Everyone knows that bears like to raid campers' picnic baskets when they get hungry, but who knew they also occasionally get a hankering for delicious chocolates? That's just what one young black bear was craving in Estes Park last week.

Jo Adams, a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory owner in Estes Park, came into work one morning to find some chocolates out of place, a candy tin on the floor and a bit of dirt on top of her checkout counter and thought that perhaps a squirrel had broken into the shop overnight, according to Estes Park News.

But when Adams called her son Eric to come in and help clean up the shop before she opened, they couldn't find any critters so Adams, who recently installed security cameras, took a look at the video. What she found was definitely not a squirrel, instead she watched a "shadowy" black bear wandering around the chocolate shop having the time of his life.

In the surveillance video above, the bear is seen opening the store's front door with claws, propping it open, meandering into the store and taking a look around at all the sweets he could eat.

The sweet-toothed bear would grab a mouthful of candy and walk it outside where he'd eat it up only to come back in for more and more helpings. 7News reports that the bear made seven trips outside to eat the chocolatey delights during his twenty minute raid.

According to Estes Park News, the bear's favorite treats were chocolate covered Rice Krispie Treats, peanut butter cups, the store's special "Balls of Joy," English Toffee and -- wait for it -- giant chocolate covered cookies called "Cookie Bears." Naturally.

The shop did open back up after several hours of cleaning and disinfecting the shop, ABC15 reports.

Surprisingly, Adams business has boomed since the bear break-in, according to 7News. A number of customers come in just to order what the bear devoured.

The lock on the store's front door was reportedly faulty which allowed the hungry bear to slip his paw inside, 9News reports. However, the locks were replaced the next day and muddy footprints were found outside the shop indicating that the bear may have come back for seconds.

(hat tip: EstesParkNews.com)

Watch the video above and see the bear's candy raid for yourself.

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