Southwest
Oklahoma man 'bludgeoned' girlfriend's relative with brick before dumping remains in wildlife refuge
An Oklahoma man, alongside his girlfriend, “bludgeoned” his girlfriend’s relative with a brick, before dumping the victim’s remains in a wildlife refuge, federal authorities said.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Oklahoma, Tevin Terrell Semien, 29, and co-defendant Nicole Leigh Logsdon, 24, were indicted for the May 2023 murder of 68-year-old Karon “Dinkers” Conneywerdy Smith.
Semien admitted to officers that he “agreed” to kill Smith and went to her home and “bludgeoned” Smith to death “with a brick, put her body in the trunk of her vehicle, and disposed of her body in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge,” the affidavit said.
Semien also admitted to law enforcement that his girlfriend requested that he murder her relative, Smith, because the pair allegedly had a falling out.
FIFTH ARREST MADE IN CONNECT TO MURDERED KANSAS MOMS WHO DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE
On Oct. 17, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Tevin Terrell Semien, 29, and co-defendant Nicole Leigh Logsdon, 24. (Navarro County Jail)
According to the affidavit, Smith was part of a Native American tribe, the Comanche Nation, and was found dead on May 17, 2023, in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge by authorities.
Investigators searched the woman’s home and found blood “consistent with a violent struggle,” authorities said. Law enforcement noted that Smith’s vehicle was missing from her home.
Days later, on May 21, Texas law enforcement observed the victim’s vehicle driving south of Dallas, Texas.
Officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Semien and Logsdon fled and led police on a high-speed chase before crashing into a lake.
OKLAHOMA MAN WITH AMMO IN TURKS AND CAICOS AIRPORT FACES 12 YEARS IN PRISON: ‘RISK OF LOSING EVERYTHING’
The two attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended, police said.
In an interview with authorities that day, Semien initially denied involvement in the death before he admitted that he had killed her, admitting that Lodgson was his girlfriend, as well as a relative of the victim.
Gateway to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Medicine Park, Okla. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Semien pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction.
On Jan. 10, Logsdon pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder, and admitted to helping Semien in his attempt to avoid arrest and prosecution.
Semien faces up to life in federal prison, and Logsdon faces 15 years in prison if convicted.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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