2023 Henryetta killings

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2023 Henryetta killings
Location Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, U.S.
DateMay 1, 2023 (May 1, 2023)
Attack type
Mass shooting; murder-suicide
Weapons Firearm
Deaths7 (including the perpetrator)
Injured0
PerpetratorJesse McFadden
MotiveUnknown

On May 1, 2023, Jesse McFadden shot and killed six people before killing himself in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, near the town of Henryetta. That day McFadden had been set to have a jury trial for other charges he faced, but after he did not appear his body and those of his victims were discovered at his home.

Contents

Killings

Police say McFadden shot and killed his wife Holly McFadden, 35; Holly's three children Tiffany Guess, 13; Michael Mayo, 15; and Rylee Allen, 17, as well as Tiffany's friends Ivy Webster, 14, and Brittany Brewer, 15; furthermore, he sexually assaulted Webster and Brewer, and all victims had been shot in the head, some multiple times, according to an autopsy report. [1] [2] He then killed himself with a shot to the head. [3] [4] McFadden had been scheduled for a jury trial that day for further sex offenses; [5] the bodies were discovered hours before the trial was to begin. [6] The Oklahoma Highway Patrol had issued an Amber Alert for Webster and Brewer only hours before [7] they were found among the dead. [8] Police have stated that the shootings were perpetrated with a 9mm handgun that had been purchased by Holly in January 2022. [9]

Perpetrator

McFadden was born in Kansas on August 24, 1983[ citation needed ], and had dropped out of high school in ninth grade for unknown reasons. [10] While living in McAlester, Oklahoma, he began his criminal career as early as December 2002. He was convicted of rape the following year in 2003 and sentenced to 20 years at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington, serving 17 years before being released in 2020. [4] In 2017, while serving his sentence, he was accused of sexting an underage girl. [3] On the day of the shooting, he was scheduled to face trial for his 2017 offense after numerous delays. [11]

Aftermath

After the murders, state representative Scott Fetgatter advocated for stronger sentencing laws for serious sex crimes. [12]

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References

  1. Clay, Nolan (June 7, 2023). "Autopsies of Henryetta mass murder victims confirm two were sexually assaulted". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  2. Staff, KTUL (June 6, 2023). "Medical Examiner releases autopsy reports for Henryetta mass murder victims". KTUL. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Dye, Abigail (May 2023). "Victim in soliciting case says McFadden texted her night before 7 bodies were found". FOX 23. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Prock, David; Fullbright, Lori; Ledbetter, Reagan (May 3, 2023). "Authorities: Convicted Rapist Kills 6, Self In Okmulgee County". News on 6. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  5. Dulaney, Josh (May 1, 2023). "Who was Jesse McFadden and what was his criminal history? What we know after 7 found dead". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  6. Lukpat, Alyssa (May 2, 2023). "Seven Bodies Found on Oklahoma Property During Search for Missing Teenage Girls". WSJ. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  7. Fiallo, Josh (May 2, 2023). "Oklahoma Rapist Jesse McFadden Sent Eerie Texts Before 7 Bodies Were Found". The Daily Beast . Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  8. Drenon, Brandon (May 2, 2023). "Seven bodies found in US search for missing teens, say Oklahoma police". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. Smith, Jessie Christopher (May 5, 2023). "Police confirm Jesse McFadden fatally shot six prior to killing himself". The Oklahoman.
  10. "Exclusive: Before the killings, Jesse McFadden was a rapist and con-man, and only got worse". The Oklahoman . May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  11. Brewer, Graham Lee; Ortiz, Erik (May 2, 2023). "Mother of convicted rapist who was found dead with 6 other people in Oklahoma is searching for answers". NBC News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  12. Felder, Ben (May 15, 2023). "Henryetta district legislator wants tougher sentencing for sex offenders". The Oklahoman . Retrieved July 17, 2023.