Police say 4 missing Oklahoma men were murdered, dismembered, dumped in river
Police are searching for a person of interest after finding four dismembered bodies with gunshot wounds in an Oklahoma tributary.
On Oct. 17, the Okmulgee Police Department announced that it had determined that the dismembered remains discovered last week belong to Mark Chastain, 32, Billy Chastain, 30, Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29.
The four friends were first reported missing on Oct. 9. Their severe dismemberment stalled the identification process, according to police.
Last Friday, on Oct. 14, police made headway with the investigation after a passerby spotted “suspicious” objects in Deep Fork River, located in Okmulgee County.
Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice told media that all four bodies had gunshot wounds and were dismembered before being placed in the river.
“I’ve worked over 80 murders in my career, involving multiple victims, dismemberment, but this case involves the highest number of victims, and it’s a very violent event,” Prentice said on Oct. 17. “Can’t say I’ve never worked anything like it, but it’s right up there at the top.”
Prentice said that the river appears to be a dump site and that his police team worked all weekend to recover and identify the bodies by sifting through information obtained during the missing person portion of the investigation.
Following a search of a salvage yard and nearby properties located on 20th St, five minutes from the river where the bodies were found, police said investigators found evidence of a “violent event” on one of the adjoining properties.
Police said they had not recovered the gun or weapon used to shoot the men and that the owner of the salvage yards, Joe Kennedy, is considered a person of interest, not a suspect. According to Prentice, Kennedy was reported missing this past Saturday.
The deceased men are thought to have left Billy Chastain’s home on the evening of Oct. 9 on bicycles. According to Prentice, based on a witness report, they are believed to have been planning to commit a criminal act.
Prentice underlined that investigators are unsure of their criminal intent, but the witness reported that the men invited them “to ‘hit a lick’ big enough for all of them.”
Prentice noted that the phrase “hit a lick” is common terminology for engaging in some criminal behavior. However, he had “no idea” of the specifics regarding the men’s intents.
For now, police have assured the victims’ families that the only thing that has changed regarding this case is the focus of the investigation.
Anyone that has information regarding the murders, the disposal of bodies, or Kennedy’s location is asked to contact Okmulgee police or local authorities at 918-756-3511 or send tips via tips@okmcity.net.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
