Okmulgee Incident — Four close friends who mysteriously disappeared in Oklahoma were killed in a “violent” shooting at a scrapyard, dismembered and thrown in a river, according to police.
Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice stated during a press conference Monday that the owner of the scrapyard, Joe Kennedy, is a person of interest in the quadruple murder.
Prentice said that authorities want to speak with Kennedy, who has gone missing, but emphasized that he has not been named a suspect.
According to Okmulgee police, the victims, Mark Chastain, 32, Billy Chastain, 30, Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29, were last seen leaving one of their residences on the night of Oct. 9, riding bicycles.
“I’ve worked over 80 murders in my career … but this case involves the highest number of victims and it’s a very violent event,” the chief said.
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Mark Chastain, Billy Chastain, Mike Sparks, and Alex Stevens were last seen leaving one of their homes in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, around 8 p.m. Sunday reportedly riding bicycles, according to police.
Okmulgee Police Department/Facebook
Billy Chastain, one of the four friends who mysteriously disappeared in Oklahoma, is pictured in an undated photo released by Okmulgee Police Department.
Okmulgee Police Department via Facebook
The victims planned to commit a crime that night, Prentice said Monday, citing an individual who had been asked to participate but declined. Police do not know what the alleged planned crime involved.
Their four dismembered bodies were found in a river on Friday.
There’s nothing to indicate any relationship between Kennedy and the victims, Prentice said. Kennedy has denied knowing them, he added.
The victims’ bicycles remain missing, police said.
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