Oklahoma
From Oklahoma to Texas, the work to bring serial killer William Reece to justice
An interstate settlement from 2016, dad and mom’ dedication, and 25 years of fixed police work helped deliver William Reece again to Texas after he acquired a demise sentence in Oklahoma.
All of that culminated in a pair of court docket hearings final Wednesday when Reece pleaded responsible to the 1997 murders of Laura Smither, Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox.
“Laura, Jessica and Kelli all deserved their day in court docket,” mentioned Laura’s mom, Homosexual Smither.
These 10 phrases helped guarantee Reece was introduced again to Texas after he was convicted final summer time of the the1997 homicide of Tiffany Johnston close to Oklahoma Metropolis. Reece was then given the demise penalty, however by January of this 12 months, Smither mentioned she seen he nonetheless had not been moved to demise row from the county jail.
“2022 rolled round and he was nonetheless there, deep considerations set in,” mentioned Smither.
Friendswood police chief Robert Wieners additionally began pushing for solutions.
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“This has all the time been in regards to the households and the households’ want for a decision to those instances,” mentioned Wieners.
Wieners found the stumbling block was an settlement between Texas and Oklahoma signed in 2016. By then, Reece had been charged with Johnston’s homicide, however he was introduced again to Texas to guide police to the place he buried Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox. Smither’s physique was discovered a couple of weeks after disappeared.
Wieners offered KPRC 2 a duplicate of the Interstate Settlement on Detainers involving Reece’s return to Texas after being charged with Johnston’s homicide. A portion of the settlement reads Reece signed a waiver of extradition again to Oklahoma to “serve any sentence there imposed upon me, after completion of my time period of imprisonment on this state.”
Court docket information present in 2016, Reece nonetheless had 41 years left on a 60-year kidnapping sentence. In 1997, Reece additionally kidnapped Sandra Sapaugh from a car parking zone in Webster, however she escaped by leaping out of his truck because it barreled down the Gulf Freeway. Her unwavering testimony helped safe Reece’s conviction and explains why the murders stopped in 1997.
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“The language was very particular about him having to return,” mentioned Wieners.
Wieners mentioned a Friendswood regulation agency additionally reviewed the detainer settlement and located a 1993 court docket case between the state of New York and Oklahoma, the place a choose dominated one state’s demise penalty doesn’t routinely trump an interstate settlement calling for the return of a defendant.
“There was a frank dialogue in regards to the language of the detainer and the truth that he wanted to come back again,” mentioned Wieners.
The choose who presided over Reece’s homicide trial then signed an order on March 4 releasing Reece to the custody of Friendswood police. The order stipulated police needed to take custody of Reece by March 14 or he can be routinely transferred to the custody of the Oklahoma Division of Corrections.
By then Reece had already agreed to plead responsible to the 1997 murders of Laura, Jessica and Kelli and on Wednesday he saved his phrase. Reece was then sentenced to life in jail
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“Absolute aid, it’s the one factor he didn’t change his story on,” mentioned Smither.
Smither mentioned what was not obvious in Wednesday’s hearings was the 25 years of fixed police work spear-headed by Friendswood that lastly led to Reece answering for his crimes.
“For 25 years, this division has actually cared in regards to the women,” mentioned Smither. “They saved the households as the main target, they saved the women as the main target they usually did their job.”
Whereas appreciative of Smither’s phrases, Wieners rapidly factors to the work performed by Texas Rangers, a number of regulation enforcement businesses in Galveston County, in addition to investigators in Oklahoma.
“I imply, there have been a number of businesses and a number of organizations who contributed. I imply all people’s function was important,” mentioned Wieners.
Reece is now again within the custody of the Texas Division of Felony Justice and TDCJ officers inform us inside the subsequent two weeks they’ll work out the small print of when he could also be despatched again to Oklahoma.
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“So long as he’s locked up and by no means has the chance to hurt one other human being, both place is okay,” mentioned Smither.
Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Oklahoma
Invasive Tick Species Found In Oklahoma, Dept. Of Agriculture Says
Oklahoma’s Department of Agriculture says an invasive tick species has made its way to Oklahoma.
Tuesday, August 6th 2024, 9:54 pm
By:
News On 6
Oklahoma’s Department of Agriculture says an invasive tick species has made its way to Oklahoma.
An Asian longhorned tick was found in Mayes County. Those kinds of ticks are smaller than sesame seeds, the department says.
The tick can carry both human and animal diseases and can cause severe anemia in infected animals. Oklahoma is now the 20th state to find the tick since it was found in New Jersey in 2017.
ODAF advises livestock owners to closely monitor their livestock.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Texas Tech’s Josh Kelly among locals on Biletnikoff watch list
No Oklahoma State player has won the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to the best receiver in college football, since James Washington in 2017.
Could that change in 2024?
The Cowboys have at least a couple of candidates who will start the year in the running, as wide receivers Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens were both named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.
Presley and Owens were two of six receivers from area colleges to grace the preseason watch list. Joining them are Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Baylor’s Ashtyn Hawkins, Texas Tech’s Josh Kelly and TCU’s Eric McAlister.
Presley enters the 2024 season with numbers that rank among the best receivers in Oklahoma State history. He is fourth in career catches (225), seventh in receiving yards (2,548) and 12th in touchdowns (16). He had 101 catches for 991 yards and six touchdowns last year.
Owens had a breakout season last year with 895 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Anderson is looking to become the first Sooner to win the Biletnikoff since Dede Westbrook in 2016. He had a breakout season as a freshman last year, hauling in 38 catches for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’ll have a new quarterback throwing to him this season, with Dillon Gabriel off to Oregon and Denton Guyer product Jackson Arnold taking his place.
Hawkins, a DeSoto product, joins Baylor after spending the past three seasons with Texas State. In 34 games, he totaled 141 catches for 1,745 yards and 11 touchdowns.
McAlister transferred to TCU after two years at Boise State. He had 873 yards and five touchdowns in nine games last year.
Kelly arrived at Texas Tech as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Fresno State and last year at Washington State. Over his career, he’s amassed 2,228 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
See the full Biletnikoff Award watch list below.
Kelly Akharaiyi, Mississippi State
Nic Anderson, Oklahoma
Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
Lawrence Arnold, Kansas
Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii
Sean Atkins, USF
Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Demeer Blankumsee, Memphis
Samuel Brown, Miami
Luther Burden III, Missouri
Kevin Concepcion, NC State
CJ Daniels, LSU
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Malachi Fields, Virginia
Jacolby George, Miami
Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Ashtyn Hawkins, Baylor
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Joey Hobert, Texas State
Tory Horton, Colorado State
Kobe Hudson, UCF
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Daniel Jackson, Minnesota
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Tez Johnson, Oregon
Josh Kelly, Texas Tech
Caullin Lacy, Louisville
Robert Lewis, Auburn
Colston Loveland, Michigan
Ja’Mori Maclin, Kentucky
Eric McAlister, TCU
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Kris Mitchell, Notre Dame
Jordan Moore, Duke
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Rashod Owens, Oklahoma State
Will Pauling, Wisconsin
Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State
Jamaal Pritchett, South Alabama
Xavier Restrepo, Miami
Kaedin Robinson, App State
Jalen Royals, Utah State
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
Roc Taylor, Memphis
LaJohntay Wester, Colorado
Squirrel White, Tennessee
Ricky White, UNLV
Kyle Williams, Washington State
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Oklahoma
Firefighters Extinguish NE Oklahoma City House Fire
Firefighters responded to a house fire in northeast Oklahoma City on Friday afternoon.
Friday, August 9th 2024, 1:38 pm
By:
News 9
Firefighters responded to a house fire in northeast Oklahoma City on Friday afternoon.
The flames were very active and caused heavy smoke in the area.
Oklahoma City Fire Department said the house was vacant and had burned before. Jim Gardner and Bob Mills Sky News 9 flew over the scene near North Martin Luther King Avenue and Northeast 16th Street.
There were no injuries in the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
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