MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – In a chilling turn of events in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Joseph Allen Hernandez, 34, from Marble City, has been found guilty by a federal jury on two counts of Murder in Indian Country and one count of Arson in Indian Country. The trial concluded with a verdict of guilty on all three criminal counts.
The jury trial began on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, and ended on Friday, November 19, 2021, with Hernandez facing up to life in prison. Evidence presented by the United States showed that on June 5, 2019, Hernandez killed his mother, Audrey Hernandez, and grandmother, Francis Wright, by dousing them with accelerant and setting them ablaze in a trailer house in Marble City.
According to witnesses, both victims stated that their son had poured gasoline on them before igniting the flames. The investigation into this brutal crime was led by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The prosecution for this case fell under the jurisdiction of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma due to Hernandez’s membership in a federally-recognized Indian tribe and the occurrence of the crimes within the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
Judge Charles B. Goodwin presided over the trial, which resulted in a presentence report being ordered. The sentencing hearing will be scheduled after completion of this report. Hernandez remains in custody of the United States Marshal until his sentence is imposed.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Warren and Jarrod Leaman. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers within Indian Country and the federal government’s commitment to justice for all citizens, regardless of where they live.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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