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Triple Murderer Gets Life in Prison
A brutal crime committed over 12 years ago has finally come to an end with a life sentence for David Brian Magnan, 53. Magnan was convicted of shooting and killing three innocent victims, James Howard, Karen Wolf, and Lucilla McGirt, in March 2004 in Indian Country, Oklahoma.
The victims, members of the Seminole Nation, were celebrating a birthday at Howard’s home when Magnan arrived with two other men. Armed with a pistol, Magnan confronted an individual outside the house and a fight ensued, after which he shot the individual in the abdomen. He then entered the home where he found the three victims asleep and shot them multiple times, resulting in the deaths of Howard and Wolf, and severe injuries to McGirt.
McGirt survived the initial shooting but succumbed to her wounds two weeks later. Following the shootings, Magnan and the two other men fled the scene and hid the murder weapon, which police subsequently recovered.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police, and the FBI investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Michael Sheckels of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Snow of the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case.
On October 29, 2015, Magnan was convicted after a jury trial. U.S. District Court Judge Ronald A. White of the Eastern District of Oklahoma presided over the trial and imposed the sentence. In addition to the three consecutive life sentences for the triple murder, Magnan was sentenced to an additional 36 months to run consecutive to the life sentences for his probation being revoked on a prior federal arson conviction.
“More than a decade after committing three brutal murders, the defendant has been held to account for his crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell. “After waiting many years for some closure, I hope the families of the defendant’s victims take some solace in today’s sentences.”
“Twelve years have passed since these three innocent victims were brutally murdered,” said U.S. Attorney Mark F. Green. “This case has traveled through many courts, both state and federal. Finally, today there can be closure for these families. I sincerely thank the prosecution team for a job well done!”
Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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