MCCURTAIN COUNTY, OK (KSLA) - McCurtain County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a deadly shooting. The threats directed at the reporters of the McCurtain Gazette-News, a paper with no online outlet serving a county of roughly 30,000 people, are evidence that this is still a very possible outcome. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. WebUncovereds website is home to unsolved homicides, such as the 1996 murder of Jody LeCornu, the 2019 murder o f Najah Ferrell, and the 2017 double-murder of Abigail Jennings then brings up the idea of hitmen, saying, "I've known two or three hitmen, they're very quiet guys and would cut no f-----g mercy.". Amazon. Their threats include lynching, burning and burying the reporters, of which the members joke that said graves are ready to be dug with one of the speakers' excavator. Jennings, who has been County Commissioner for District 2 since November 2020, started to discuss people wanting to run for sheriff. The number of journalists who have been attacked or threatened is even larger. (Marston was the McCurtain County Sheriff in the 1980s, according to The Oklahoman. "They are insignificant in my life, really," Manning says. Apr 12th Michael Franklin, Missing from Alaska since 1977. Earlier today, April 30, 2021, two arrest warrants for murder were obtained for James Henry Elrod III. Well, I couldn't find the answer to the first question, though I did gather that it's over 40 individuals. Tupac Shakur. Mike Burke is the county's only cold case detective working, determined to Its most notable towns include Idabel (population 7,040), Broken Bow (4,280), Wright City (860) and Valliant (780). IDABEL - A McCurtain County jury has found a 19-year-old guilty of murdering two Wright City men and has recommended two death sentences. A southeast Oklahoma newspaper has released the full audio recording it captured of county officials talking about killing journalists and lynching Black people. "I know that other than Oklahoma City and Tulsa, my district is right up there.". The event is a public plant swap and $50 "Plantiness Workshop," presented by Sunshine, Flydragon Art Studio, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and Rooted in Cheyenne, among others. But you can't do that anymore. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Sheriffs' Association announced that Clardy, Manning and Hendrix were suspended from the association. Clardy responds, "I've got an excavator.". The weekend concludes with the long-awaited Alan Kirkbride Memorial Poetry Gathering at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum. 20It's hard to sit at my desk and contain my emotions as I watch the story unfold out of McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Renowned comedian and Cheyenne native Brandt Tobler is once again bringing his comedian friends to the stage at a local favorite brewery. All rights reserved. [A deputy] goes, 'No, what?' A portion of the recording was released by the paper, and it also appears to capture one of the four making racist comments about Black people. Unsolved Mccurtain County Murders. McCurtain County's per capita income for 2001 was $18,803, which ranked 55th in Oklahoma, according to state Commerce Department statistics. The McCurtain Gazette-News, a print-only newspaper, released portions of the audio recording and a transcription along with the front-page expos over the weekend. McCurtain County John Doe, Discovered in Oklahoma in 1989. "Yeah, but here's the reality," Manning responds. A McCurtain County, Okla., newspaper released an audio recording where county officials including the sheriff are allegedly heard discussing killing journalists, lynching Black people and hiring hitmen. In December a man was charged in the death of a 12-year-old girl who disappeared in 1999, and Sanders said another 8-month-old homicide was solved a few weeks ago. One Site. One Database In Oklahoma alone, there are over 700 people missing; over 100 unidentified; and over 1,000 homicide cases that are unsolved. Here at Oklahoma Cold Cases we do our best to share the stories of these victims. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is working a number of murders in rural parts of Oklahoma and many remain unsolved. They are the kind of crimes that most people move to the country to try to avoid. So, when murder strikes a small town it can really rattle a community. There's the case of a couple found shot to death on Christmas Day. Tonight is another Tobler and Friends Comedy Night at Black Tooth Brewing Co. Perhaps the most important piece was the memorial section a display of hundreds of journalists who had been killed while on assignment worldwide. McCurtain County had 169.8 firearms- related injuries per 100,000 population, well-ahead of second-place McClain County (80.0) and third-place Pushmataha County (76.9). Saturday morning is the Earth Day Extravaganza at Sunshine Plant Co. Another great resource is Project: Cold Case, who, in partnership with the Murder Accountability Project, produced a comprehensive list of all of the unsolved homicides in each state from 1980-2019. According to this list, there were around 11,922 murders in Oklahoma during that nearly 40-year time frame. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Many deaths that are investigated by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner remain as Unidentified Persons, due to decomposition, fire, injuries, In February, a prominent Idabel man was slain during a home invasion, and last weekend, an Arkansas man was stabbed to death in an apparent bar fight. According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Allen Shaw, 89, and Randy Sander, 65, have been charged with Second Degree Murder and Arson in connection to Stoewe's death. Gov. ), "I know," Jennings says. Phone Numbers 863 Phone Numbers 863647 Phone Well, It's not like that nomore," Clardy responds. Stoewe and her two dogs perished in the fire, which was allegedly set by two men. McCurtain County deputies investigating deadly shooting, Thousands without power in Shreveport-Bossier after bush hog hits pole. The officials laugh again. The news also inspired me to Google a question I hadn't thought to ask prior the events in Oklahoma: how many journalists have been murdered on U.S. soil? There is simply no place for such hateful rhetoric in the state of Oklahoma, especially by those that serve to represent the community through their respective office., The McCurtain Gazette-News released portions of an audio recording following a March 6 county commission meeting in which Clardy, Manning and Jennings appear to discuss reporters Bruce and Chris Willingham. The three day event, covered previously in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, gives attendees the chance to frolic through any and every variation of game for the entirety of the convention's run. "Yeah. Shannon Baldwin-Hokanson, Enid, 2012.. Shannon, a mother of 3, was last heard from McCurtain County has a population of about 34,800. The most prominent of these killings were five Vietnamese-American journalists Tried Le, Nhan Wrong Do, Tap Van Pham, Nguyen Dam Phong and Duong Trong Lam. The state average was 7.8. But I've had coworkers that have reported on issues not dissimilar from some listed above, and that is reason enough to reflect on the subject. Mar 23rd Rhea Ochoa, Saturday night invites local rock bands to the stage, including Angelus Errare, Stay Awhile, Union Goons, We the Few, YOTP and Hell's Half Acre. Lori Longchase, Missing from Arizona since 1983. On Wednesday morning, Jennings resigned from his position as commissioner, News 9 reports. MCCURTAIN COUNTY, Okla. (KTAL/KMSS) There are new details in the arrest of a McCurtain County man, The state average was 7.8. Senat said under Oklahoma law, the recording would be legal if it were obtained in a place where the officials being recorded did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. All my life, we've always said we don't get enough recognition in southeast Oklahoma, Dempsey said. I was shocked as I assume most people were not only about the comments about journalists, but the racist comments regarding African Americans. The event begins at 2 p.m. Sunday. She was last seen at about 9:10 pm that night at a gas station on the north end of town, merely 100 yards from her home. "They bring no [inaudible. Just before 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, a passerby called authorities reporting someone was lying in the road just outside Hayworth on Goodwater Highway. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma's governor is seeking the resignation of four county officials after a newspaper's audio recording apparently captured some of them complaining about two of the paper's journalists and knowing hit men and where two holes are dug. Morrison John Doe, Discovered in Colorado in 1977. They got more rights than we got.". Apr 14th Kim Lertjuntharangool, Missing from Colorado since 2021. Rhea Ochoa, Missing from Arizona since 1997. Deputies say they have a person of interest but have not released the person's name. Mullendore was beaten and shot to death on his ranch in Osage County back in 1970. Apr. WebThe Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is working a number of murders in rural parts of Oklahoma and many remain unsolved. Commanding the majority of the weekend is the Cheyenne Gaming Convention, beginning Friday afternoon. The category includes assaults, accidents and suicides. First, there's the content of everything that the members of the McCurtain County Sheriff's Office and McCurtain County Board of County Commissioners discussed during an illegal meeting a stretch of audio that would fit well as an archived recording from the jailhouse of a pre-civil rights "sundown town." Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. The state average was 24.4 firearms-related injuries per 100,000 population. ", In a statement, U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said, "The recorded comments from community leaders in McCurtain County are reprehensible and embarrassing for the county and our state. If youre interested in true crime, most likely you may also be IDABEL McCurtain County's state-leading homicide rate shows no signs of slowing down. OSBI says 27-year-old Gary Dixon has been The first known journalist to be killed for their work on U.S. soil was Elijah Parish Lovejoy, who was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in 1837 for supporting the abolition of slavery. The horrible comments are not who we are as Oklahomans. I'd run for f-----g sheriff.". Change my address on my handgun license? Luckily, the team at the Gazette-News did what inevitably leads to a despot's downfall revealed the truth. German had published a series of articles reporting on "claims of bullying, hostility and mismanagement at the Clark County's public administrator's office," wrote the Review-Journal. None of the four returned telephone calls or emails from The Associated Press on Monday seeking comment. Above all else, they accumulate into a larger theme and the reason why people seek to kill journalists fear. Kevin Stitt said Sunday he was seeking the resignations of McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy and three other county officials: sheriffs Capt. ", "Every Oklahoman has the right to live in safety and freedom without fear of injustice from local, state or national authorities," he continued. "If a hair on his wife's head, Chris Willingham's head or any of those people that really were behind that, if any hair on their head got touched by anybody, who would be the bad guy?". The cover of "Facing September," a murder mystery based on the case of Kelly Lynn Albright's murder. If you would like to look further into the number of murders in Oklahoma by year, you may visit the websites of many local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations, who often times publish comprehensive reports with more information about the crimes committed in that area over specific time frames. McCurtain County is in far southeast Oklahoma, bordering both Arkansas and Texas, in a part of the state often referred to as Little Dixie, because of the influence in the area from white Southerners who migrated there after the Civil War. Before I was a journalist, or even passionate about journalism, the Newseum had a role in showing me the impact that the profession can make on the world. During the ensuing discussion, her wrapped remains were compared to barbecued food. The county also is a state leader in deaths and injuries by firearms. For music fans, The Lincoln Theatre is hosting its second installment of the Local Music Showcase series. When reached by phone, the McCurtain County Sheriff's Office declined to provide a comment to PEOPLE but said that the FBI is now investigating the recording. KANSAS: In 1970, 12-year-old Kelly Lynn Albright went missing and was found dead in a field in Reno County. "And then the medical examiner asked her, said, 'Hey we're fixing to go eat.' Mar 23rd. Last September, an investigative reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff German, was stabbed to death outside of his home. The second question yielded better results, all compiled in a nifty column format on Wikipedia (that I did fact check), and it turned out to be worth the time. Actually, McCurtain County's 20.5 homicides per 100,000 population is well ahead of the Oklahoma City or Tulsa areas. 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Police Arrest 'Supposed' Friend, Business Partner in Death of Mom Found in Shallow Grave, Texas Woman Charged After Husband Dies of 'Suspicious Illness,' Previously Investigated in Ex-Husband's Death, Everything to Know About Philadelphia Eagles Player Josh Sills and His Legal Controversies, Texas Man Accused of Murdering Girlfriend Who Planned to Confront Him About Being Married, Remains Found amid Search for Missing Okla. 6 Disturbing Unsolved Mysteries In Oklahoma That Will Leave You Baffled 1. Mar 23rd David Lewis, Unsolved Murder from Oklahoma in 2017. "Since November things have been insane in McCurtain County," District Attorney Virginia Sanders said. Mullendore died Wednesday night. Apr 14th Oswald Bear, Missing from Manitoba since 1969. Mar 23rd. Authorities say the victim, who appeared to have died from multiple gunshot wounds, is a 46-year-old man from Oklahoma. They are the kind of crimes that most people Originally assigned to document Meredith's enrollment, Guihard soon turned his focus to the riot that broke out on campus. I had the pleasure of visiting the Newseum in Washington, D.C., before it closed in 2019, which has since been purchased by Johns Hopkins University to become classrooms, offices and event spaces because I'm sure D.C. needs more of those. Two people were shot to death and another stabbed to death in November. In a Monday evening statement, the sheriff's office claimed the recording was "illegally obtained." Bruce Willingham said he has also turned over his audio recordings to the FBI and the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office and added he has had several conversations with federal investigators. MCCURTAIN COUNTY, OK (KSLA) - McCurtain County Sheriff's deputies are investigatinga deadly shooting. First, there's the content of everything that the members of the McCurtain County Sheriff's Office and McCurtain County Board of County Commissioners discussed during an illegal meeting a stretch of audio that "Crime is a bad problem and meth is a big part of it," Sanders said. Chaz Bearshield, Unsolved Murder from Oklahoma in 2012. That figures to 20.5 homicides per 100,000 population, easily the highest rate in the state. Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Attorney General Gentner Drummond, said the agency had received an audio recording and is investigating the incident, but declined to comment further. Tillman, an "arrogant, bombastic, and a notorious drinker and gambler," according to the South Carolina Encyclopedia, was acquitted at trial, despite Gonzales being unarmed, with his hands in his pockets, at the time of the shooting. The McCurtain Gazette reported that the new audio includes more talk of harming journalists, as well as discussion of intimidating the local prosecutor. "This should be a reminder that we are all defined by who we are in private and in public.". The country has seen that truth and responded accordingly. Mar 23rd. WebFive homicide cases from 2020 remain unsolved, placing the homicide units clearance rate at about 94%, a few percentage points lower than last year. April 17, 2023, 1:40 PM OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma's governor is seeking the resignation of four county officials after a newspaper's audio recording apparently captured some of them complaining about two of the paper's journalists and knowing hit men and where two holes are dug. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. It was not immediately clear if either has entered a plea to the charges or retained an attorney. The worst year for The Associated Press could not immediately verify the authenticity of the recording. Girl, Caretaker Accused of Killing 4-Year-Old on Christmas, Missing Texas Woman Is Found Dead After Planning to Confront Boyfriend About Him Being Married, released portions of the audio recording and a transcription, County Commissioner for District 2 since November 2020, the Oklahoma Sheriffs' Association announced. "We've got her on the Web site, we've got her on Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was arrested and charged with German's murder, for which he will stand trial on Nov. 6. All rights reserved. Joking doesnt excuse that.. Meanwhile, over at the Historic Atlas Theatre, Cheyenne Little Theatre Players is spearheading two nights of Silent Movies at the Atlas. The conversation began with the officials discussing a house fire that took place on March 2, which claimed the life of 43-year-old Dannette Stoewe. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Kevin Stitt said in a statement to the Associated Press. Ian Henry, Kirkbride, a former Wyoming rancher who died recently, will be honored through the work and performances of regional poets, including two cowboy poets. Girl, 2, Last Seen 'Asleep or Unconscious' Being Carried by Mom from Drug House Is Likely Dead: Police, Oklahoma Mom of 2 Young Children Killed by Husband in Murder-Suicide: 'She Was a Great Mother', Missing Okla. Bruce Willingham said he believes the local officials were upset about stories we've run that cast the sheriff's office in an unfavorable light, including the death of Bobby Barrick, a Broken Bow, Oklahoma, man who died at a hospital in March 2022 after McCurtain County deputies shot him with a stun gun. I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County," Stitt said in a statement. Mar 23rd Morrison John Doe, Discovered in Colorado in 1977. I'll save those comments for you to research yourself. One event that lies close to my own heart was the killing of civilian journalist Paul Guihard in Oxford, Mississippi, when he was working as a photojournalist during James Meredith's integration to the then-racially segregated University of Mississippi. It ranks second in firearm deaths on a per capita basis, behind Cimarron County and ahead of Jefferson County. McCurtain County John Doe, Discovered in Oklahoma in 1989. In Oklahoma County, there are 500 unsolved murders, some dating by to the 1950s. WebAccess the Sexual Assault Kit Tracking system? A homicide is a killing and can be either intentional, such as murder, or unintentional, such as manslaughter. On, Thursday, April 29, 2021, during further investigation in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, the vehicle suspects fled in was recovered in the Hayworth, Oklahoma area by Sheriff Detectives. For $12, residents get the silent movie experience with a screening of four Laurel & Hardy films, featuring live musical accompaniment by Dave Niemann. Okla. Four days after Kelly Lynn Albright disappeared from her family's home, she was found dead in a field. ]", Jennings says he knows where two "big deep holes" are if "you ever need them." "I've been in this office since 1988 and it's so much busier than it has ever been. Apr 11th Will Carpenter, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne, For only the second time in its history, the US Navy is beginning the slow, tricky process of taking apart a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, A Towering, Terrifying Demon Horse Isnt Even the Weirdest Part, Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story, Roman Polanski and the woman he pleaded guilty to raping pose together 45 years later, Hunter Biden appears in court for paternity case, March of Dimes walk looks to raise money for families facing pregnancy scares, Popular Mobile Games You Must Play In 2023, US readies second attempt at speedy border asylum screenings. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. WebSome of the oldest unsolved murders on Uncovered s cold case website include the 1960 murder of Nancy Eagleson, the 1977 murder of Ann Harmeier, the 1977 murder of His name has not been released at this time. More than 100 people gathered outside the McCurtain County Courthouse in Idabel on Monday, with many of them calling for the sheriff and other county officials to resign. Gov. According to the McCurtain Gazette-News, the story published over the weekend is the first in a planned series. Adair County Alfalfa County Atoka County Beaver County Beckham County Blaine County Bryan County Caddo County Canadian County Carter County Cherokee County Choctaw County s "Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with a damn rope. Oklahoma County had 12.5 homicides per 100,000 from 1992 to 2001, and Tulsa County had 8.2. This is in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Eastern Oklahoma. Apr. Editors note: Over 20 years, from 2000 to 2019, there were 4,177 murders in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Copyright 2015 KSLA. The co-founder and editor of The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, Narciso Gender Gonzales, was shot and killed by then-state Lt. Gov. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? I'm gonna tell you something. POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) Deputies say a 35-year-old Pottawatomie County man was murdered inside his garage while home alone. I clearly remember watching a family of tourists search for the restrictions in their home country, then responding with a plain "Oh ". Unidentified Persons - Oklahoma Cold Cases Unidentified Persons are organized by county. State Rep. Eddy Dempsey, a Republican who represents the area in the Oklahoma House, said the recorded comments don't reflect the values of his constituents and echoed Stitt's call for the four people involved in the conversation to resign. "McCurtain County is always at the top, if not No. Jarrod Ramos killed five employees of The Capital Gazette in Annapolis because the paper had published a story about his guilty plea in a criminal harassment case in 2011. But there's also the matter of this same group conspiring genuine or otherwise to kill two of the journalists employed at the small, family newspaper headquartered in Idabel, Oklahoma, a town that lies geographically nearer to Little Rock and Dallas, and is just over an hour drive from Texarkana. I'm one to talk, since I have the pleasure of reporting on the arts. "I don't know what the answer is.". Obviously, racist and violent ideologies can be found in any barbershop, diner, bar or closed circle, but it's a scary thing to see not just as a journalist, but as a human being who was hoping that such recourse among leadership in America had been overcome. WebWJ Edwards 2-15-39, Convicted of Murder Story 1: Two Are Held in City Death, Shots Blamed on Robbery Fear Two men were held in the city jail Monday and funeral arrangements completed for a third as the aftermath of a shooting Sunday night in a one-room house at 129 West Chickasaw Avenue, Services for [] All of the accounts are somber, yet fascinating for their largely forgotten historical significance. Later in the recording which the McCurtain Gazette-News says was legally obtained because the recording was taken at a public meeting the conversation took another disturbing turn. A spokeswoman for the FBIs office in Oklahoma City said the agencys policy is not to confirm or deny any ongoing investigation. The recording was taken after a March 6 county commissioners' meeting when county officials, including McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, commissioner Mark Jennings, Sheriff's Investigator Alicia Manning and Trust Administrator Larry Hendrix were talking after the meeting, but did not know they were being recorded. Joey Senat, a journalism professor at Oklahoma State University, said he was shocked to hear the comments made in the recording, especially in light of recent killings of journalists in the U.S., including the arrest last year of a Las Vegas-area elected official accused of fatally stabbing a veteran newspaper reporter who had been investigating him. PEOPLE has reviewed the audio, but is unable to independently verify the speakers. And what was their story? The McCurtain County Sheriff's Office and Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case. Alicia Manning, District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix. WebUP McCurtain County - Oklahoma Cold Cases Oklahoma Cold Cases Broken Bow John Doe 1983 Bethel John Doe 1989 All Rights Reserved Oklahoma Cold Cases Inc. Is a "Not this day and age. Oklahoma Serial Killers. A homicide is a killing and can be The common thread among this memorial and the accounts listed above is that journalists have, and will continue to face the ultimate repercussion for reporting on individuals abusing their power. "Well, these are already pre-dug," Jennings responds. After the paper released the audio, protests began outside of the Board of County Commissioners office. The county has experienced five homicides in the last five months. This list was last updated on July 19, 2022. Oklahoma's southeastern-most county recorded 71 homicides from 1992 to 2001, according to figures released recently by the state Health Department. Bruce Willingham, the longtime publisher of the McCurtain Gazette-News, said the recording was made March 6 when he left a voice-activated recorder inside the room after a county commissioner's meeting because he suspected the group was continuing to conduct county business after the meeting had ended in violation of the state's Open Meeting Act. I talked on two different occasions to our attorneys to make sure I wasn't doing anything illegal, Bruce Willingham said. With its rolling, forested hills in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, the area has become a tourism hotbed attracting a steady stream of visitors from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.