LAWTON, Okla_This morning's
killing marks the 11th homicide of the year for Lawton, one more than each of the last two
years.
It can be
unsettling to think about 11 killings in a town Lawton's size in nine months. A closer look at those cases show very few of
the suspected killers are still on the loose.
Lawton's first
homicide of the year happened in January, when Darlene Binns was shot in her
home on Southwest Monroe around one in the
morning. Less than 12 hours later, the suspect, Warren McGuffey was arrested. Police
said he had been in a relationship with Binns' daughter. He's in jail awaiting
trial for murder.
Later that
month, Charles Weimer was charged in the death of his finance's two year old
son. Weimer told police that the boy
fell down a flight of concrete stairs, but medical evidence said otherwise.
He'll be tried for the boy's murder in January.
The city's 3rd
homicide happened in the GEO prison in February when Matthew Dorrough died
after a fight with his cellmate, Joseph Pallone. His trial on a manslaughter charge is set for
January.
In April, an
argument between neighbors near Southwest 45th and K escalated into gunfire.
John Carder died and Phillip Tucker was charged with manslaughter in his death.
He's free on bond.
In June,
another killing at the GEO prison when Sonny Limpy was ambushed by other
inmates and stabbed to death. Three men have been charged with his
killing.
In July, a
murder-suicide unfolded outside a Lawton
business. Ricky McDaniel opened fire in
the parking lot of Thunderbird Lanes Bowling Alley, killing his girlfriend, 29 year
old Latesha Pettaway and injuring her brother. Police say McDaniel then left
the bowling alley and drove to his mother's where he shot himself in the head.
But there are
still some unsolved cases.
In July, a 17 year
old Lawton man
was found dead in the street near 19th and Taft. He'd been shot to death.
In August, a
double shooting on NH Jones on the city's south side took the life of 30 year old
Deangelo Hurd. Investigators say he had been shot in the head.
That brings us
to the recent stretch of three killings in five days, with the death of Kenneth
Young Saturday, who was shot outside the Dew Drop Inn. Two nights later, police
say 47 year old Darren Bush was shot and killed in his apartment near Northwest
13th and Cache Road. Witnesses told police they had seen him arguing with two
men outside.
Another killing
from May of 2011 was recently reclassified as a homicide this year. Leslie Niedo's
death at his home was originally recorded as an unattended death, but last
week, Neil Wheeler pleaded guilty to manslaughter after he admitted to beating Niedo
at a party.
Investigators
say more leads have come in on the shooting death of Kenneth Young that
happened over the weekend. They are tracking down cars witnesses say they saw
leaving the scene the time of shooting.
