'Person of interest' in Oklahoma bicyclists' slayings arrested in Florida - NBC News

Police arrested a "person of interest" successful the slayings of 4 Oklahoma bicyclists successful cardinal Florida — much than 1,200 miles away, authorities said Tuesday.

Joseph Kennedy, 67, was arrested successful Daytona Beach Shores, successful a car "that was reported stolen to the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office" Monday, according to a connection from constabulary successful Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

Mark Chastain, 32, Billy Chastain, 30, Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29, were reported missing past week and were recovered changeable and dismembered bodies days aboriginal successful the Deep Fork River, Okmulgee constabulary said.

Just aft naming Kennedy arsenic a "person of interest" connected Monday afternoon, constabulary said the man's bluish Chrysler PT Cruiser was recovered “abandoned down a business” successful Morris.

Kennedy was driving adjacent the 2800 artifact of South Atlantic Avenue astatine 8:30 a.m. Tuesday erstwhile a constabulary licence sheet scholar detected Kennedy's vehicle, listed the car arsenic stolen and its operator arsenic "missing," said Daytona Beach Shores Director of Public Safety Michael Fowler.

Kennedy was arrested without incidental and did not marque immoderate connection to officers, according to Fowler.

"Upon confirming (with constabulary successful Oklahoma) his presumption arsenic a missing idiosyncratic we were notified that helium is simply a idiosyncratic of involvement successful a quadruple homicide," Fowler said.

Kennedy, who has a listed code successful Okmulgee, is being held without bail. He was booked into custody astatine the Volusia County Branch Jail astatine 10:21 a.m. Tuesday connected a azygous complaint of expansive theft of a centrifugal vehicle, according to Department of Corrections records.

Kennedy was besides booked successful transportation to a 2012 shooting successful Okmulgee, constabulary successful Oklahoma said.

The connection did not sanction Kennedy arsenic a fishy successful the deaths of the 4 bicyclists.

It was not instantly wide Tuesday day if Kennedy had hired oregon been assigned an attorney.

Kennedy got connected the radar of investigators aft they searched his scrap gait and recovered grounds of a "violent event" connected an "adjoining property,” Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said.

Kennedy was initially interviewed by Okmulgee constabulary Friday, according to Prentice, earlier helium seemingly near the state.

The 4 men were reported missing aboriginal past week aft they near connected their bicycles.

Prentice aboriginal said the men had been readying to propulsion disconnected an undisclosed crime.

Investigators basal the content connected the connection of a witnesser who had been invited to spell on arsenic the men planned to “hit a lick large capable for each of them,” Prentice said, utilizing slang for a profitable transgression act.