Four Friends Missing in Oklahoma Found Dismembered, Police Say - The New York Times

U.S.|Four Friends Missing successful Oklahoma Found Dismembered, Police Say

The mysterious disappearance of 4 friends successful Oklahoma took a grim crook connected Monday aft the constabulary confirmed that their remains had been recovered successful a stream aft they had been fatally changeable and past dismembered.

Joe Prentice, the constabulary main successful Okmulgee, a metropolis of astir 11,000 radical astir 40 miles southbound of Tulsa, said astatine a quality league connected Monday that the remains had been identified arsenic those of Mark Chastain, 32; Billy Chastain, 30; Mike Sparks, 32; and Alex Stevens, 29, each of Okmulgee. The main said the Chastains were brothers.

Chief Prentice said that investigators believed the men had planned to “commit immoderate benignant of transgression act” aft they near Billy Chastain’s location connected Okmulgee’s westbound broadside astir 8 p.m. connected Oct. 9. All 4 were reportedly riding bicycles, the constabulary said.

Their program to prosecute successful transgression enactment was based connected accusation from a witnesser who had been invited to articulation the men to “hit a lick large capable for each of them,” the main said, quoting the witness.

“That is communal terminology for engaging successful immoderate benignant of transgression behavior, but we bash not cognize what they were readying oregon wherever they planned to bash it,” helium added.

The men had been reported missing past week aft they near Billy Chastain’s home, the constabulary said.

Mark Chastain’s wife, Jessica, told 2 News Oklahoma past week that her hubby had parked his car astatine a location owned by the Chastain household connected Sunday. The 4 men often spent clip there, she said.

“They don’t spell acold — never,” Ms. Chastain told the quality station.

On Friday, a passer-by noticed thing suspicious successful the Deep Fork River, starring investigators to find what appeared to beryllium quality remains protruding from the water.

But it wasn’t until Monday that the constabulary confirmed the identities of the remains. Chief Prentice said it took immoderate clip to marque the recognition due to the fact that each 4 had gunshot wounds and had seemingly been dumped successful the stream aft they were dismembered.

Chief Prentice said that the constabulary were looking for the proprietor of a section salvage yard, Joe Kennedy, whom helium described arsenic a “person of interest” successful the investigation. Mr. Kennedy’s salvage gait is adjacent to a spot wherever investigators discovered “evidence of a convulsive event,” the main said, without elaborating.

He said that a awesome from Mark Chastain’s cellphone had pinged astatine and astir the salvage yard. No charges person been filed and the origin and mode of the deaths person yet to beryllium determined, the main said.

When Mr. Kennedy spoke to investigators connected Friday, helium denied knowing the men, Chief Prentice said, adding that helium had nary crushed to judge the men had immoderate narration with Mr. Kennedy. On Saturday, Mr. Kennedy was reported missing and helium whitethorn beryllium suicidal, the main said.

There was nary contiguous effect connected Monday day to a substance connection sent to a fig listed for a salvage gait nether Mr. Kennedy’s name. Later Monday, the main said that Mr. Kennedy’s car had been recovered “abandoned” down a concern successful Morris, Okla., astir six miles eastbound of Okmulgee.

Investigators person not recovered the weapon utilized successful the killings, Chief Prentice said. They besides person not yet recovered the bicycles that the men had reportedly been riding.

“Unfortunately, I person nary statement of the bicycles,” Chief Prentice said. “At slightest one, and we judge all, of the boys had aggregate bicycles, and there’s nary mode to cognize which ones they were on.”

Chief Prentice said that the probe was continuing and that the constabulary were waiting for cellphone records and had requested video surveillance from businesses successful the area. He said his champion conjecture was that the men’s remains were dumped successful the stream connected the nighttime of Oct. 9 oregon the greeting of Oct. 10.