The investigation into the mysterious disappearance of four friends in Oklahoma took a terrifying and unexpected turn after their dismembered bodies were found in a river.
A bike ride turned tragic after police revealed the killing of four friends who were last seen out for a ride a week ago in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Their bodies were found shot and dismembered near the Deep Fork River.
The mysterious disappearance of four friends in Oklahoma who were reported missing took a grim turn on Monday after the police confirmed that their remains had been found in a river after they had been fatally shot and then dismembered. https://t.co/IA6SdmUO4C
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 17, 2022
Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice confirmed according to the autopsy that the bodies found belong to the friends reported missing last week; Mark Chastain, 32, his brother Billy Chastain, 30, Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29, respectively.
Prentice pointed out that the official cause of death was still under investigation, however, the men presented gunshot wounds and were brutally mutilated.
According to family statements, the men left a house in Okmulgee by bicycle on the night of October 9 and never contacted them again. The partner of one of them reported them missing on Monday night. And Stevens’ mother contacted authorities a few hours later to also report her son missing.
A man considered a person of interest has since disappeared, police said. https://t.co/GeWzUhuvbT
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) October 17, 2022
According to reports on CNN; investigators have suspicions that the four men planned to “commit some type of criminal act,” Prentice said at the news conference, citing a witness who told investigators they had been invited to join in and “strike up big enough.” great for all of them”.
“That’s common terminology for engaging in some type of criminal behavior, but we don’t know what they were planning or where they were planning to do it,” Prentice said.
In addition, police searched a junkyard Saturday in Okmulgee, Prentice said. While “nothing of note was observed” inside, Prentice said “evidence of a violent event” was found at an adjoining property.
Prentice said there is a person of interest, but no charges have been filed, plus he has been missing since Saturday night and may be suicidal.