Melvin James Battiest, Felony Murder, Oklahoma 1984

A gruesome crime from decades past has finally seen justice served. On April 23, 1984, Donald Cantrell met a tragic end when he was brutally murdered at Wahoo Bay in the Fort Gibson Lake area of Oklahoma.

A body was discovered by deputies of the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, and an autopsy revealed that Cantrell died from blunt force trauma to the head and chest.

Fast forward to the present, Melvin James Battiest, 60, has pleaded guilty to one count of Felony Murder in Indian Country, in violation of 18 United States Code Sections 1111, 1151, and 1153.

The indictment alleged that Battiest and another man robbed and murdered Cantrell, then stole his truck and burned it. During the investigation, Battiest admitted to the crime and even took detectives to the crime scene to show them where everything took place.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, the Muskogee Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States in the case. The Honorable Timothy D. Degiusti, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

Battiest faces a term of imprisonment of not more than life, a fine of $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Violent Crime

Alvarez's Web of Deceit Unravels in ILND Court

Jul 1, 2005

Violent Crime

Tennessee Crime Rates Rise 30.4% in 2021, No Specific Crime or Defe…

Jul 1, 2021

Violent Crime

Van Aalsburg, Federal Criminal Case, California, 2007

Jan 15, 2007

Violent Crime

Vereen's Web of Deceit Unravels in CAED Court

Jul 1, 2005