A brutal murder in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, has led to federal charges against Arnold Dean Howell Jr., 27. The incident occurred in 2015 during a robbery at the victim’s home.
According to investigators, Howell and his sister, Katherine Freeman, conspired to rob the victim. During the robbery, Freeman held the victim at gunpoint, while Howell directed her to retrieve a knife from the kitchen. He then repeatedly stabbed the victim, causing his death.
When the first knife broke, another was retrieved, and Howell continued his attack. The victim’s death was discovered the next day during a welfare check, and his vehicle was later found abandoned in Tulsa.
Arnold Dean Howell Jr. is charged with murder in the first degree in Indian Country. The state conviction was dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction, given that Howell is an enrolled tribal member and the crime occurred within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Sapulpa Police Department, and FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cymetra M. Williams and Christopher M. Kelly are prosecuting the case in U.S. District Court in Tulsa.
This matter will proceed in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, where the criminal complaint is currently pending. A complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal grand jury within 30 days.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The outcome of this case remains uncertain, but the family of the victim hopes for justice to be served.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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