Links- No Discussion.

[Faith]

Please add important links as you find them for this case.


Online Oklahoma court records:

http://www.odcr.com/

Court Record for Other Counties in OK. Docket Search

http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/casesearch.asp

Ok Dept. of Corrections:

http://docapp065p.doc.state.ok.us/servlet/page?_pageid=395&_dad=portal30&_schema=PORTAL30

USA Prison Search

http://www.ancestorhunt.com/prison_search.htm

[Grande]

Okmulgee County Jail Roster
http://okokmulgee.jailsoftware.com/inmateroster.asp

Osage County Jail Roster
http://okosage.jailsoftware.com/InmateRoster.asp

[Harmony]

Audio of 911 call:

http://www.kwtv.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=2714256&h1=Listen%20to%20the%20911%20tape&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=50367&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=61999471


transcript of 911 call:


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,387482,00.html

Transcript: 911 Tape in Oklahoma Double Murder

Monday, July 21, 2008

The following is an excerpt of a 911 phone call made by a relative one of two girls found shot to death on a rural Oklahoma road on June 8, 2008. Investigators hope that releasing the tape will help lead them to those responsible for the murder of Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13, and Skyla Whitaker, 11. Officials have not released the identity of the relative who made the call.

911 OPERATOR: … Emergency.

RELATIVE: Somebody’s killed two girls on — My daughter, my grandbaby and — her friend. I’m on County Line Road.

911 OPERATOR: What happened down there?

RELATIVE: I don’t know. They went for a walk and they’re both, they’re dead.

911 OPERATOR: Your daughter’s dead?

RELATIVE: They’re dead!

911 OPERATOR: Your granddaughter?

RELATIVE: Yes and my, her friend

911 OPERATOR: Ok. Where’s this at ma’am? Stay calm.

RELATIVE: I’m on County Line Road.

911 OPERATOR: Which County Line Road?

RELATIVE: On Bryant Road.

911 OPERATOR: On Bryant Road?

RELATIVE: Yes, … oh my God, I’m having an, I don’t know, help me please.

911 OPERATOR: OK ma’am I need you to stay calm so we can get out there to you ok?

RELATIVE: OK.

911 OPERATOR: Let me pull my map and try and find out where you’re at.

RELATIVE: Route 1, 185.

911 OPERATOR: OK. We can’t look them up with the routes.

RELATIVE: Oh, please, please, please, please, please! Lord, help me, please.

911 OPERATOR: OK. Just stay on the line with me.

RELATIVE: Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God! My God, my God, my baby!

I added full transcript. Faith

[Harmony]

7/21/08 Full press conference with Q&A:
http://www.koco.com/video/16946343/index.html

[Harmony]

Transcript of Jessica Brown on Nancy Grace 7/21/08

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/21/ng.01.html

excerpt from transcript:
ANN: Nancy, I have a question. Is there anywhere -- have the police looked into the backgrounds of the children`s parents to find out if there was any sort of thing such as gambling debt or a drug debt or anything like that at which point, you know, somebody would, basically, you know, set out revenge by hurting these two beautiful little girls and killing them?

GRACE: What about it? To Jessica Brown -- she`s the public information officer with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Jessica, I know that may be a farfetched scenario, but has it been investigated?

BROWN: That`s one of the first things we do, Nancy, is look at the family, those closest to the victims, and we make sure we know everything about them, to find out if there`s any reason that they would do it or someone else would do it in retribution to them.

We have not found that.

[Grande]

Unease builds over unsolved killings
By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer
Last Modified: 7/27/2008 2:41 AM

WELEETKA — The grieving families of two girls who were slain near here last month are now coping with mounting frustration at the progress of the investigation and its lack of answers.

It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon on June 8 when Skyla Jade Whitaker, 11, and her friend Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13, decided to go for a walk on County Line Road, four miles northeast of Weleetka.

The two had walked a half-mile north of Taylor's home to the Bad Creek Bridge and were returning when they were gunned down.

Their bodies were discovered around 5:30 p.m. by Taylor's father, Peter Placker.

Both girls had been shot several times with two guns, leading authorities to believe that at least two killers were involved.

Given the remote location of the crime scene, authorities think the killers live in the Weleetka area.

"It's still hard to talk about it," said Skyla's father, William Whitaker.

"We don't hear anything new from the OSBI."

He said he and his wife, Rose Whitaker, have asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation "plenty of questions, but there's been no answers they can give us."

"They haven't told us anything new since the day it happened," he said.

"The only thing we honestly know is our daughter was killed and she was with her friend when it happened. And they were shot multiple times."

Whitaker said his family is becoming increasingly frustrated by the investigation and the fact that no suspects have been arrested seven weeks after the slayings.

"We want them off the streets before it happens to other people's children," Whitaker said.

The Whitakers' sense of frustration is shared by the Placker family, which is now in the process of moving because "they're afraid to live there and they can't drive that road anymore," according to Taylor's uncle, Joe Mosher.

The family's anxiety with the investigation is felt on two fronts, he said.

"We're worried because it's taking so long, and they're not telling us everything," Mosher said.

Still, he believes that the OSBI is doing a great job and will eventually solve the case.

"We think they know something," he said, "but they're not saying what."

Beyond that, Mosher said, the fact that the investigation is now heading into its eighth week is cause for concern.

He said the family is worried that the investigation may eventually go by the wayside, that "they'll let it slip on the back burner."

"We don't want that," Mosher said. "We want to know why. Why would someone want to hurt two little girls?"

Whitaker also fears that the investigation may lose its intensity.

"We don't want to see the investigation lose its momentum," he said.

The Whitaker and Placker families are joined by many Weleetka-area residents who are also concerned about the investigation.

With the killers still on the loose, Betty Hill, who lives a mile from the homicide scene, said authorities are trying their best but that she wishes more could be done.

Hill said she avoids driving by the scene at night and still has trouble going to sleep.

At the Town & Country Grocery store, Elaine Hare noted that the investigation seems slow, but she understands that the OSBI has hundreds of leads that have to be checked.

"The community wants closure and justice for the girls," she said.

Hare pointed to another growing fear in Weleetka and the surrounding area — the worry among parents for the safety of their children as they go to and from school when the fall semester starts.

It's certainly that way for Sharon Eddie, who has two daughters, 10 and 15 years old.

She said she can take her children to school in the morning, but "I'm afraid for them when they walk home after school."

School in Weleetka resumes on Aug. 13, while classes at the Graham Independent School District, where Skyla and Taylor were enrolled, begin on Aug. 7.

Cowboy Eugene Tyler said he's as frustrated as most people in the community with the progress of the investigation.

He said local residents are still living in fear and that many have had to change their habits because the killers still haven't been caught.

"I don't like it," Tyler said of the investigation. "It's taking way too long."

Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the OSBI, said there's no reason for residents to feel frustrated or get cynical about the investigation.

"This is a difficult case," she said, pointing out that some cases are easy to solve while others take time.

"It's not like on TV," she said. "This one will take time," she said, adding that this case will be solved.

The OSBI has checked out more than half of the 500 leads it has received in the case. Also, about 100 people have been questioned in connection with the case, and many more remain to be interviewed.

Last week, the OSBI released part of the 911 call reporting the slayings in the hope that someone with information about the case would hear it and come forward.

Mosher said the 911 call was made by his sister, Vicky Placker, Taylor's mother.

"When I heard it, it shocked me," he said. "I was at work, and it turned my stomach to hear it. I had to go home."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080727_12_A1_hWELEE443106

[Pandabear]

Criminal record of "uncle" Joe Mosher

http://www.criminalsearches.com/details.aspx?id=51081319

[Grande]

Thu August 7, 2008
Near Weleetka, a sad reminder awaits students returning to class
By Johnny Johnson
Staff Writer

WELEETKA — Today is the first day of classes at Graham Public Schools — and despite the best efforts of teachers and administrators, much will be different.

Two months ago, the 100-student school lost two of its pupils in an act of violence that has paralyzed the community with fear.

"It's a hard age to try to explain to,” said elementary Principal Wanda Mankin. "And their belief that all's right with the world is now shattered.”

Taylor Placker, who was going into the seventh grade, and her best friend, Skyla Whitaker, who was going into the sixth grade, were shot to death June 8. They were left lying in a ditch along a dirt road four miles northeast of Weleetka. The killer or killers have not been arrested, and investigators say they have no suspects or apparent motive.

School officials have decided to try to move forward with some semblance of normalcy.

Mankin said she didn't want a team of counselors walking around, and didn't want extra security patrolling the hallways. Such obvious reminders of the killings might prove counter-productive, she said.

"We may have a student who is happy that school is starting, but they see a counselor and think that means they are probably supposed to be sad and that something may be wrong with them for feeling what they are feeling,” the principal said.

School officials have also closed the campus to news media. They also changed school bus routes to avoid the crime scene where the two girls were shot to death, Mankin said.

But in a school where a dozen teachers manage 100 students, there's little doubt the absence of Skyla and Taylor is going to be felt.

Reminders of the girls

Teachers and students who preregistered for classes were given green and purple rubber bracelets that read: "In memory of Taylor and Skyla — BFF,” or best friends forever.
Mankin said the school wanted to do something to honor the memory of the girls, and they decided to order the memorial wristbands, which were made in the girls' favorite colors — green for Taylor, purple for Skyla.

And while parents may be reassured by the presence of uniformed officers at the school, the patrol cars parked outside the school might also serve as a reminder to students that all is not well.

Okfuskee County Undersheriff Darrell Summers said his office met with school officials on Tuesday to discuss safety issues at the school and at bus stops.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation also asked teachers to eavesdrop on student conversations in the hallways and in the cafeteria, Mankin said.

While it is not the school's job to interrogate students, she said, "kids do talk,” and something that might seem insignificant could actually provide the lead that helps solve the case.

500 leads investigated
Jessica Brown, OSBI spokeswoman, said she wished that two months after the two girls were shot to death she had some better news. Unfortunately, that was not the case this week.

"We're doing everything we can do,” she said. "It just hasn't gotten us to the place we need to be.”

The OSBI spokeswoman said agents have tracked down more than 500 leads and are continuing to pursue "some really good leads.”

"Unfortunately, we've run really good leads before and they just kind of fizzled out, because people had alibis and that sort of thing,” she said.

One new development in the case is that the medical examiner's office indicates they are "getting close” to finishing autopsies on both girls.

The results may be available later this week.

http://newsok.com/near-weleetka-a-sad-reminder-awaits-students-returning-to-class/article/3280072/

[Claycat]

Article about the autopsies.

There is a section called related links. That is where the autopsy results are. Very sad!

http://www.newsok.com/article/3280866/

[Grande]

Tue August 19, 2008
Gun tests may solve Weleetka girls' case
By Matt Dinger
Staff Writer

OKEMAH — The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation test fired .40-caliber handguns voluntarily submitted by their owners last weekend in an attempt to narrow the search for one of the weapons used in the June slayings of two girls in a rural area near Weleetka.

The agency sent out letters to about 60 registered owners of the handguns, asking them to bring the weapons to the Okfuskee County Courthouse.

More than 40 people complied, and another four or five said they no longer owned the guns but provided identifiers for those who bought the weapons, OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown said.

Investigators test-fired the weapons once or twice and returned them to their owners, Brown said. The results were to be taken to the OSBI lab in Edmond and analyzed.

Investigators are looking for one of the guns used to shoot and kill Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13, and Skyla Whitaker, 11, along a gravel road near Weleetka on June 8.

"It's a process of elimination,” Brown said.

The process is strictly voluntary and arrangements will be made for gun owners who can't make the trip to Okfuskee County, Brown said.

http://newsok.com/gun-tests-may-solve-weleetka-girls-case/article/3285491/?tm=1219117370

[Grande]

Published: August 20, 2008 11:27 am
Agents checked gun dealers, pawn shops to create list
The Tulsa World

WELEETKA, Okla. — Authorities working to narrow leads in the June shooting deaths of two girls checked area gun dealers and pawn shops to determine who had bought or recently pawned .40-caliber pistols, one of two weapons used in the slayings.

The time-consuming procedure yielded the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation the names of more than 60 owners of .40-caliber guns in the Weleetka area.

The OSBI then sent letters to all those gun owners, asking them to voluntarily submit their weapons for test firings over the weekend at the Okfuskee County Courthouse at Okemah.

About 40 of those gun owners showed up Saturday and Sunday, and their weapons were fired once or twice and then returned to them.

The fired bullets and shell casings, meanwhile, were sent to a crime lab for analysis to determine if any of them match those used in the slayings of Skyla Jade Whitaker, 11, and Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13.

Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the OSBI, said about five of the gun owners no longer owned the weapons, but provided the names of the new owners.

The other 15 or so gun owners who did not show up will be checked by the OSBI to see why they didn't volunteer for the test firings.

"They can have any number of reasons" for not volunteering, Brown said. "They could be against it, they could be anti-government, or they eventually may want to help."

The girls were shot on June 8 a half-mile north of Taylor's home in the small town of Weleetka, 70 miles south of Tulsa. No arrests have been made.

The state Medical Examiner's office said the younger girl had eight wounds to the arms, chest, abdomen and neck, and the older girl had five gunshot wounds to the head, groin and hand.

http://www.edmondsun.com/statenews/local_story_233112751.html

[Grande]

Weleetka witnesses face grand jury
By Nolan Clay and Johnny Johnson
Staff Writers
© Copyright 2008, The Oklahoman

Three men who have come under suspicion in the fatal shootings near Weleetka testified Wednesday before a state grand jury.

Two other witnesses failed to appear. The grand jury's judge ordered them arrested.

Agents at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation turned to the multicounty grand jury for help solving one of the state's most painful murder mysteries — the deaths of friends Taylor Placker, 13, and Skyla Whitaker, 11.

The girls were shot 13 times June 8 on a dirt road between Okmulgee and Okfuskee counties.

"I just wish they would catch whoever done it so they would leave me alone,” said one witness, Toney Kelough, 30, who must return today to finish testifying. "I've told them the same thing over and over again.”

Investigators also may have some type of DNA evidence in the case. Some people have been asked to give DNA samples, The Oklahoman has learned.

Grand jurors are meeting at the Oklahoma County courthouse and the testimony is not public.

The involvement of the grand jury does not necessarily mean criminal charges are imminent. Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors often use the grand jury to gather evidence.

Testifying first Wednesday was OSBI Agent Ben Rosser, the lead investigator on the case since the inception.

Rosser said grand jury rules prevent him from discussing anything to do with the grand jury or his testimony.

"Name, rank and serial number,” he said. "That's all I can give you today.”

The witnesses:

Dustyn Dailey

http://i37.tinypic.com/r7w5l4.jpg

Dailey, 18, testified the longest Wednesday — about two hours. He was taken before the grand jury in shackles and wearing jail clothes with black and gray stripes.

Afterward, Dailey, who uses the nickname "Spud,” would not comment to The Oklahoman about the two Graham School girls case.

Dailey attended Graham School in the ninth grade until his family moved to Henryetta.

He is jailed in Okmulgee County on a second-degree burglary charge. He is accused of breaking into a home Aug. 1.

Some of his relatives have a protective order against him after charging he said in April, "I'm going to burn your house down and ya'll will have nowhere to live” and "I am going to kill you.”

On MySpace, he lists among his interests "all vampire books.”

Mike Gaddy

Gaddy, 19, who knows Dailey, testified for about an hour Wednesday.
His parents, David and Glenda Gaddy, confirmed their son has come under suspicion but they insist he has an alibi. They said he heard the fatal gunshots but did not witness the shooting.

They also said they fear vigilantes seeking justice might hurt him because he has come under suspicion.

"They've already chased him with guns,” David Gaddy said. "Until they catch who really did this, Mike is in danger.”

The father said his son was at a friend's house at the time of the shooting. The father said his son, along with the friend and the friend's family, then went to Walmart. He said agents have pulled Walmart surveillance videotapes to try to verify the story.

The father also said OSBI agents have been harassing his son, who he says is mentally challenged.

The parents said they have noticed undercover officers in an AT&T van taking photos of them. They said they believe their phone has been tapped due to an unmistakable clicking sound.

They said their son does not associate with Dailey any more.

Toney Kelough

Kelough told The Oklahoman that agents suspect him. He denied having anything to do with the girls' deaths.

He said he saw the girls playing in their yard the day before the shooting. He said he was with a girlfriend when they were killed. He lives about eight miles from the crime scene.

"I've told them 100 times I had nothing to do with it, but they said I done it,” he said.

According to Kelough, he came under suspicion because of some red stains on his shirt and pants. Kelough, a casino maintenance worker, said he told officers the stains were from wood stain and showed them his woodworking project. He said agents have gone to his house and looked in windows, and the agents scare his 6-year-old son.

Kelough said he gave a DNA sample.

"I've got nothing to hide,” he said.

http://newsok.com/weleetka-witnesses-face-grand-jury/article/3292812/?tm=1220508876&pg=1

[Grande]

Three suspects testify at Grand Jury

Three men who have come under suspicion in the fatal shootings of Taylor Placker and Skyla Whitaker testified Wednesday before a state grand jury.

Two other witnesses will be arrested for failure to appear.

"I just wish they would catch whoever done it so they would leave me alone,” said one witness, Toney Kelough, 30, who must return today to finish testifying. "I've told them the same thing over and over again.”

Investigators also may have some type of DNA evidence in the case.

Dustyn Dailey, 18, testified for about two hours Wednesday. He was taken before the grand jury in shackles and wearing jail clothes with black and gray stripes.

He is jailed in Okmulgee County on a second-degree burglary charge. He is accused of breaking into a home Aug. 1.

Some of his relatives have a protective order against him after saying he said last April, "I'm going to burn your house down and ya'll will have nowhere to live” and "I am going to kill you.”

Dailey, who's nickname is "Spud", would not comment on the case.

Mike Gaddy testified for about an hour. Mike's parents say he has an alibi and heard the shootings, but did not witness the shootings.

They also said they fear vigilantes seeking justice might hurt him because he has come under suspicion.

"They've already chased him with guns,” David Gaddy said. "Until they catch who really did this, Mike is in danger.”

The father said his son was at a friend's house at the time of the shooting. The father said his son, along with the friend and the friend's family, then went to Walmart. He said agents have pulled Walmart surveillance videotapes to try to verify the story.

The father also said OSBI agents have been harassing his son, who he says is mentally challenged.

The parents said they have noticed undercover officers in an AT&T van taking photos of them. They said they believe their phone has been tapped due to an unmistakable clicking sound.

They said their son does not associate with Dailey any more.

Toney Kelough testified that he was with his girlfriend the day the girls were murdered. He had only seen them the day before when they were playing in the yard.

"I've told them 100 times I had nothing to do with it, but they said I done it,” he said.

The casino maintenance employee said he came under suspicion because of some red stains on his shirt and pants. He said he told officers the stains were from wood stain and that he showed them his woodworking project.

He said he would take a DNA test as he has nothing to hide.

http://www.jurorthirteen.com/GeneralCategories/Investigations/SkylaTaylorInvestigation/tabid/682/Default.aspx

[Grande]

Thu September 4, 2008
2 more witnesses appear before grand jury in Weleetka shootings
By Nolan Clay and Johnny Johnson
Staff Writers

A man and woman believed to be witnesses in the fatal shootings of two Weleetka girls arrived at the Oklahoma County Courthouse at 11:30 a.m.

Wearing shackles, the pair was escorted under guard to the second day of multicounty grand jury proceedings on the case.

They are the fourth and fifth witnesses to testify on the matter before the grand jury. Three other men who are under suspicion in the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Taylor Placker and 11-year-old Skyla Whitaker testified Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the grand jury heard testimony from Dustyn Dailey, 18; Mike Gaddy, 19; and Toney Kelough, 30. Kelough, who said he was with his girlfriend at the time of the shootings, returned Thursday morning for about an hour before the grand jury. He had no further comment after telling The Oklahoman Wednesday that he had nothing to do with the shootings.

"I just wish they would catch whoever done it so they would leave me alone," Kelough said Wednesday.

The bullet-riddled bodies of the two school girls were found on an remote Okfuskee County road, not far from where Taylor lived.

Two other witnesses, whose names were not available, were ordered to appear before the grand jury Wednesday but failed to do so. The judge overseeing the proceeding ordered their arrests, but it is unclear if the two suspected witnesses Thursday were the same witnesses.

Dailey, who testified for about two hours Wednesday, is currently an inmate at the Okmulgee County jail. He has been charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly stealing a window-unit air conditioner.

Gaddy’s parents confirmed that their son has come under suspicion but said he was at a friend's house when he heard gunshots on June 8, when the girls were killed.

The Gaddys said they fear that vigilantes might try to harm their son, as he has already reportedly been chased by “people with guns.”

David Gaddy said his son, who is mentally challenged, once hung out with Dailey, but that they no longer associate with each other.

Testimony is expected to continue this afternoon.

http://newsok.com/article/keyword/3292925/

[Grande]

Fri September 5, 2008
Witnesses conclude Weleetka testimony
By Nolan Clay and Johnny Johnson
Staff Writers

http://i38.tinypic.com/ehdle9.jpg http://i38.tinypic.com/mcu540.jpg

A woman and her boyfriend were arrested Thursday in Okmulgee and taken in clanging shackles to Oklahoma City to testify to what they knew about the fatal shooting of two girls.

Windy Espinosa, 34, and Larry Peyton Smith, 34, testified Thursday before a state grand jury that is helping state agents look into the tragic shootings near Weleetka.

The two were arrested after they failed to show up in court Wednesday. The grand jury's judge allowed them to go home after they finished testifying Thursday.

Agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation turned to the multicounty grand jury for help cracking the frustrating case.

Two friends, Taylor Placker, 13, and Skyla Whitaker, 11, were shot to death June 8 along a remote Okfuskee County road, not far from where Taylor lived. The case has attracted national attention.

The two new witnesses said little in front of news reporters as Okmulgee County sheriff's deputies moved them to and from the grand jury room Thursday. The two live together in Okmulgee.

During a closed-door meeting before the judge, Espinosa could be overheard laughing briefly and saying she hopes she never sees lawmen at her door again.

She wore a T-shirt with the words "Free Spirit” on the front.

Asked by a reporter if she was glad her testimony was over, she said, "I doubt it's totally over over.”

Three testified earlier

Grand jurors heard Wednesday from three men who have come under suspicion in the case — Dustyn Dailey, 18, Mike Gaddy, 19, and Toney Kelough, 30.

Kelough returned Thursday morning and testified for about another hour. He told The Oklahoman Wednesday he has an alibi — that he was with a girlfriend at the time of the fatal shooting.

"I just wish they would catch whoever done it so they would leave me alone,” Kelough said Wednesday.

Kelough declined comment after testifying Thursday. "I'm done, man,” he said as he rushed out of the courthouse.

Also testifying Wednesday was OSBI agent Ben Rosser.

What the witnesses said is not known.

Grand jurors hear testimony in secret sessions.

The current multicounty grand jury is not expected to hear more witnesses and is not expected to issue any indictments over the deaths.

Another multicounty grand jury is likely to be formed in a few months and could help the OSBI if the case is not solved before then.

Assistants for Attorney General Drew Edmondson guide the grand jury investigations.

http://newsok.com/witnesses-conclude-weleetka-testimony/article/3293276/?tm=1220586700

[AmyE]

Oklahoma autopsy info bill runs out of steam

A measure that would prevent the release of certain medical autopsy reports stalled Wednesday when it was pulled from consideration by a House committee.

The measure may be unnecessary because the medical examiner's office already has the discretion to keep some information confidential, an agency spokeswoman said.

House Bill 1580 would allow the chief medical examiner to withhold the public release of an autopsy report at the request of a district attorney or any law enforcement agency “if release of the records may impede an ongoing criminal investigation.”

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation requested the bill. Jessica Brown, OSBI spokeswoman, said her agency asked the measure to be pulled because talks are under way with the medical examiner's office.

Cherokee Ballard, spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said the medical examiner's office, after meeting Wednesday with the OSBI, doesn't think the legislation is needed and will ask that that section of the bill be removed.

“We talked with OSBI and we can work it out with law enforcement agencies on a case-by-case basis,” she said.

Mark Thomas, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Press Association, said his group opposed the measure because the medical examiner's office is independent of law enforcement.

“Their job on behalf of the citizens of the state is to determine facts around the cause of death,” he said. “We think there ought to be that kind of separation, that the law enforcement agencies and district attorneys should not be able to ask the medical examiner to withhold information that has been public.”

While autopsy reports are public record, the state's Open Records Act does not apply to records in the medical examiner's office that are considered preliminary, unsubstantiated investigation-related findings and confidential medical information, Thomas said.

The OSBI requested the bill partly as a result of the medical examiner's office releasing the autopsy reports of two Weleetka area girls killed last year, Brown said.

The reports, released two months after the bodies of Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13, and Skyla Whitaker, 11, were found alongside a gravel road, showed where the girls were shot and how many times.

“We didn't want that information out because only the suspect or suspects and law enforcement know this information,” Brown said. “When we don't have a suspect and we don't have anyone arrested, that can be crucial information.”

No arrests have been made in the slayings.

Trent Baggett, assistant executive coordinator for the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, said his office wasn't consulted about the proposed law, but doesn't think it's a bad idea.

“Aside from law enforcement and the victim's family, the only reason the public would need to know some of that information is to satisfy their idle curiosity,” Baggett said.

Baggett said the information wouldn't have to be kept from the public in typical homicide cases, but he does see a danger in the law being used too much.

“It would be like asking for the death penalty in every case — after a while it loses its real intent,” Baggett. “You would hope that everyone would use it judiciously."

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-autopsy-info-bill-runs-out-of-steam/article/3343463

[AmyE]

Prayer vigil held in girls' unsolved slayings

Associated Press - February 16, 2009 9:05 AM ET

WELEETKA, Okla. (AP) - Nearly 100 people participated in a prayer vigil for two young girls shot to death in June along a quiet country road in a killing that remains unsolved.

People gathered around a memorial yesterday hoping to refocus attention on the slayings of 11-year-old Skyla Jade Whitaker and 13-year-old Taylor Paschal-Placker.

The girls were shot to death on the afternoon of June 8 after they had gone for a walk along County Line Road, about 800 feet from the Placker home northeast of Weleetka. Their bodies were found along a shallow ditch, and they were shot a total of 13 times.

An OSBI spokesman says the agency still has several agents actively pursuing the case, and they are still receiving tips.

Since the investigation began, the OSBI has received more than 500 tips and has interviewed more than 100 people for a possible link to the crime.

http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=9851087