Kyle Joseph Vannortwick, Murder – Second Degree, Oklahoma 2021

A federal jury has found Kyle Joseph Vannortwick, 36, of Muskogee, Oklahoma guilty of Murder – Second Degree in Indian Country.

The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, after a two-week trial that began on Monday, August 16, 2021, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee.

Vannortwick is accused of stabbing his twin brother, Adam Vannortwick, three times with a BBQ knife on February 18, 2018, in their home. The victim suffered stab wounds to the head, neck, and chest, and lost a substantial amount of blood before medical treatment. Despite the defendant’s claims that the death was accidental, the prosecution argued that the evidence showed the defendant intentionally stabbed his brother.

The case was originally set to be tried in the District Court of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, but was refiled in federal court after the United States Supreme Court determined that the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation had never been disestablished by Congress. The investigation was conducted by the Muskogee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing is scheduled to follow after the report is completed. Vannortwick is currently being held in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.

The prosecution argued that the defense’s theory of the events was impossible, and that the evidence showed that the defendant stabbed his brother three separate times. In contrast, the defense claimed that the victim attacked the defendant and that he pushed him away, causing the victim to fall on a kitchen table where the BBQ knife was laying.

The guilty verdict marks a significant outcome in a case that has been closely watched by law enforcement and the community. The case highlights the complexities of jurisdiction and the need for careful investigation and prosecution in cases involving Indian Country.

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