Zachary Carlton Ty Capps, Murder and Firearms Charges, Oklahoma 2023

Idabel Resident Sentenced to Prison for Murder and Firearms Charges in Oklahoma

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Zachary Carlton Ty Capps, a 29-year-old man from Idabel, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 210 months in prison for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The sentences are set to be served consecutively for a total of 330 months in prison. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.

On September 12, 2023, Capps pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on the evening of November 15, 2022, Capps fatally shot the victim in the head with a .44 caliber revolver.

The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Kenneth J. Gonzales, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Capps will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.

The investigation into the incident highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies in Indian Country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police worked together to bring Capps to justice.

As Capps begins his sentence, the community can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that justice has been served. The case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of gun violence and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.

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