Joseph Kennedy charged with quadruple murders in Oklahoma

Joseph Kennedy

Prosecutors have charged the man suspected of murdering and dismembering four others in Oklahoma. Joseph Lloyd Kennedy67, was previously jailed in Florida after authorities said he was driving a stolen car and violated the terms of his probation for an assault and battery case in 2013.

Authorities had named him as the person of interest with whom he was linked Billy Chastain30, his brother Markus Chastain32, mike sparks32 and Alex Stevens29, went missing on October 9 and was found dismembered in a river five days later.

speech on MondayDistrict Attorney of Okmulgee Carol Iski told reporters that the four victims suffered gunshot wounds and were also “cut at the waist.” Mike Sparks also had both arms removed, she said.

Billy Chastain, Mark Chastain, Alex Stevens and Mike Sparks.

As previously reported, the four men were last seen on Sunday October 9 leaving Billy’s home on bicycles. Mark’s wife and Billy’s girlfriend reported the brothers and Sparks missing on October 10. Steven’s mother reported him missing the same day.

Using an app that Mark and his wife used to track each other, investigators said they traced his phone to a gas station. There, surveillance footage allegedly did not show the four missing men, but showed Kennedy standing next to his blue PT Crusader. From there, the phone ended up at Kennedy’s junkyard, Iski said. However, there was no longer any signal there.

According to the district attorney, Kennedy underwent a voluntary interview in which he claimed to have witnessed junkyard robberies, but he denied seeing the men. Investigators believe he was at the junkyard when the Chastains, Sparks, and Stevens were there.

Iski said that a woman, who she described only as being in a romantic relationship with Kennedy, came forward to tell investigators that Kennedy, who was behaving very strangely, came to her home on the morning of October 10 came and left a bicycle for her son. Billy’s girlfriend would later identify that bike as his, Iski said.

The woman also allegedly told investigators that Kennedy returned on October 15. He was said to be very excited, telling her he was leaving and that she would never see him again.

He told her, “They were all against him, and he lost it, and he just started shooting,” Iski said. Kennedy reportedly told her “he cut her up”.

Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice previously said the victims were planning some sort of criminal enterprise, but he didn’t say what.

Iski dismissed any thought of a self-defense claim.

“Well, I would never have the audacity to predict what the defense might come up with,” she said, replying to a reporter, “but last time I checked, no matter what happened, we don’t have the death penalty in Oklahoma for theft.” .”

Kennedy was arrested in the town of Daytona Beach Shores, Florida. Iski said he drives a Toyota Tundra that belonged to his friend. This friend reported it stolen.

Other evidence the prosecutor mentioned against Kennedy included blood on the ground near the scrapyard, a bullet lodged in a tree, and 7.62 caliber cartridges found near the tree. A lawmaker who lived near the scrapyard reported hearing 10 to 12 shots from a “high-powered rifle,” Iski said.

[Kennedy booking photo via Volusia County Jail; images of the Chastain brothers, Sparks, and Stevens via the Okmulgee Police Department]

Do you have a tip we should know? [email protected]