A University of Tulsa law professor is launching a new effort to track jail deaths across Oklahoma, pointing to rising totals, costly lawsuits and concerns about inmate care. Matt Lamkin’s Jail Death Accountability Project aims to collect data and stories from families while examining whether deaths behind bars could have been prevented.

The Numbers
33: Age of latest inmate death
Oklahoma County Detention Center officials reported the death of 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow earlier this month. The case remains under investigation, and the state medical examiner has not released an official cause of death.

60: Deaths since 2020
Lamkin said there is a “pipeline of inmates who have died,” including 60 deaths in Oklahoma County jails since 2020.
“Because there is a whole pipeline of inmates who have died,” said Lamkin. “The 60 who have died since 2020, many of those the county is going to have to pay substantial sums on.”

$40 million: Judgment tied to 2015 death
Taxpayers will vote in August on a sales tax increase tied to a $40 million judgment in the 2015 death of Terral Ellis Jr. in Ottawa County. Ellis died of septic shock after requesting medical help, according to Lamkin, who cited jail video showing a nurse threatening to restrain him.

$7 million: Lawsuit over 2021 jail death
In May, Brad Lane’s estate won a $7 million lawsuit connected to his 2021 beating death by a cellmate in Oklahoma County. Lamkin said similar settlements are adding up.

2: Reported deaths in past year
Detention center officials reported a decline in deaths, with two deaths recorded between July 4, 2025, and July 4, 2026, prior to Whitecrow’s death.

Why these numbers matter
Lamkin argues many in-custody deaths are preventable and linked to missed safety checks and delayed medical care.
“They have been found to miss many, many sight checks that they are supposed to be performing on a regular basis,” he said. “And a lot of inmates died who probably could have been saved.”

What comes next
Lamkin is asking families who lost loved ones in city or county jails to submit information for his study. He said the goal is to build a clearer picture of how often deaths occur and what factors contribute to them.

Tips can be submitted to Lamkin’s study by email at tips@jaildeaths.org or by calling 601-732-5245.

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card in Oklahoma City, including a pair to the main event fighters.

After UFC Fight Night 281, four fighters picked up an extra $100,000 for their performances at Paycom Center. Additionally, two fighters got $25,000 extra checks for finishes that weren’t bonus-winners. 

Check out the list of winners below. 

Dricus Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) put on a masterful performance with a unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC), whose return to middleweight ended in failure – and him saying he didn’t want to be a sore loser, then listing about six reasons why he was being precisely that. Du Plessis frequently made Usman look slow, though the broadcast team starting in the third round lauded him for his grit. DDP’s scorecards included a 50-45, which Usman took particular exception with as part of his “I’m not a sore loser” sore loser time on the microphone with Daniel Cormier, who seemed unsure if he should feel sorry for him or be embarrassed for his assertion that he somehow was in a competitive fight. 

Performance of the Night: Felipe Franco ($100,000)

Felipe Franco (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) turned in a performance to remember for his first win in the UFC when he took out Levi Rodrigues (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO. Back at 205 pounds after a loss in his UFC debut at heavyweight, Franco mounted Rodrigues and pounded him out in the second frame.

Performance of the Night: Tommy McMillen ($100,000)

Tommy McMillen (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) looked like a star has been born when he set a new promotional record for significant strikes in a three-round featherweight fight. And thought he took a few licks himself from Alberto Montes (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), he put him away with about 90 seconds left in the fight after a torrid of standup punishment. 

Finish bonus: R.J. Harris ($25,000)

R.J. Harris (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a stellar debut in the UFC at heavyweight when he drilled Alvin Hines (7-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with an uppercut in the first round that took him off his feet. Harris was on him in the bat of an eye and a few punches later had a stoppage in 100 seconds. 

Finish bonus: Dione Barbosa ($25,000)

Dione Barbosa (10-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) made things look easy against Alice Melisano (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Knowing her easiest path to victory was on the canvas, she took the UFC newcomer and “TUF” grad down right away, then worked her way to an eventual rear-naked choke finish in the opening round. Barbosa was the second biggest betting favorite on the card at 7-1.