Found Deceased OK - Mark Chastain, Billy Chastain, Mike Sparks, Alex Stevens, Okmulgee, 9 Oct 2022

[Eli9]

I believe they knew something early on and didn't say anything about a poi. I say this because at the end of the press conference when they first discovered objects in the river a reporter asked if the sheriff if he had anything to say to the perp or perps...he answered something to the effect of "I'll know what to say when I see him". So I think they already had there suspect way last week.

A few points to mention...I'm in Tulsa...know Okmulgee well. Lots of poor folks here, addicted to drugs, jobless, riding bikes instead of driving, and to whom even a hundred bucks would be a small fortune. So a lick to them probably wouldn't mean much to other folks.

I feel perp had been stolen from before...he waited for them...and ambushed them.

Great post! Welcome!

 

[chocolatechance]

I believe they knew something early on and didn't say anything about a poi. I say this because at the end of the press conference when they first discovered objects in the river a reporter asked if the sheriff if he had anything to say to the perp or perps...he answered something to the effect of "I'll know what to say when I see him". So I think they already had there suspect way last week.

A few points to mention...I'm in Tulsa...know Okmulgee well. Lots of poor folks here, addicted to drugs, jobless, riding bikes instead of driving, and to whom even a hundred bucks would be a small fortune. So a lick to them probably wouldn't mean much to other folks.

I feel perp had been stolen from before...he waited for them...and ambushed them.

Thanks for that info on the "big lick," Ed Teach. I remember the days when a hundred dollars could make or break my budget. Not fun times, and I wondered if it might be like that in small town Oklahoma.

As you and Spanish Inquisition mentioned, there could've been an ambush situation and shooting at the salvage yard. I was thinking the "violent event" area is where they were shot and dismembered, but they could've been shot in the yard, hauled across the field to the tree line, and then the shooter realized he had 4 large bodies and would need a very big hole. An earlier poster mentioned the red clay in that area, and clay is so darn hard to dig up. We have clay here, and I can stand on the top of a shovel and jump up and down and barely get any dirt up. If the shooter was an older person, I could see the hauling from the yard to the tree line exhausting the person. The thought of digging a hole would be daunting, and there may have been pulled back muscles from moving the bodies. Adrenaline would be wearing off, perhaps. The dismemberment may have been a necessity because the shooter couldn't move them in any other way at that point. I'm sure there'd be a sense of urgency to get this done quickly, so that could lead to just throwing the parts over the bridge barrier rail.

Such a terrible event.

 

[Emerald1328]

How many rounds does a standard gun hold? Unless he was some sharpshooter, I can’t imagine that one standard round of bullets would have been enough to kill 4 grown men. Did he have multiple weapons? An automatic weapon? An accomplice?

 

[Kapua]

True ,but then you have to transport these for guys who are at least 150 lbs each,your talking min weights of 600 pounds. Really it is probably a few hundred pounds more than that. This is work ,and for it to be spur of the moment ,there has to be ,evidence everywhere.

Not to mention the blood splatter just from shooting the victims. It had to be a huge mess. Ugh. I can't even watch horror films.

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

In a January 2021 article about local catalytic converter thefts in the Okmulgee newspaper, the subject in a surveillance photo looks similar to Mark Chastain.

https://etypeproductionstorage1.blob.core.windows.net/$web/Production_Prod/Jobs/52/2021-01-28/128070/PreProcessedPDF/okgt_125603_prep_20210128140315080.pdf

IMHAspieO I think that MS looks like the man on the top right (turquoise), and on the bottom right (yellow), AS.
I love that we, collectively, see differently than one another. This allows us to see others POVs. All of which and more, make for great discussions!

ETA: the photo (duh).

mOo ymmv

 

[Friday Fan]

How many rounds does a standard gun hold? Unless he was some sharpshooter, I can’t imagine that one standard round of bullets would have been enough to kill 4 grown men. Did he have multiple weapons? An automatic weapon? An accomplice?

It looks like 30 is the standard for AR-15's. I just assume that is what JK had, because everyone has them.
This is the gun of mass shooters too.

However, in what we see with mass shooters outdoors, they frequently miss their targets and shoot randomly.

Also mass shooters tend to be younger and more physically fit than JK. That's why I'm reluctant to believe he was shooting at these guys as they were running around the salvage yard. I think at least one would have gotten away if that was the case.

 

[Kapua]

I think it is possible that the 4 victims believed JK had millions of dollars worth of Catalytic converters and precious metals in his salvage yard. They may have known he was buying them and had them stored on his land.

So instead of going to him to sell stolen ones, like they may have told JK, they were instead going to steal his cash and his stash of stolen loot?

Here are examples of salvage yards that have been busted for having these stolen metals:


by Marissa Heffernan

Missouri man charged in 26-count indictment, for multi-million dollar conspiracy, to sell stolen catalytic converters

A Missouri, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for selling millions of dollars in stolen catalytic converters to companies in Missouri, Texas,

www.kttn.com

Spick, the owner of J&J Recycling in Independence, is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines since Jan. 1, 2018, and 25 counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.

In his salvage business, Spick primarily buys and resells catalytic converters rather than other automotive parts or recyclable items. Catalytic converters convert toxic gases and pollutants from internal combustion engines into less-toxic pollutants. Catalytic converters contain precious metals such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium. Stolen catalytic converters have value because of the precious metals, which can be extracted from the converters.

Beginning in at least 2014, Spick bought catalytic converters at his business from individuals whom he paid in cash. The cash payments attracted thieves, the indictment says, particularly drug addicts. Spick resold the catalytic converters to companies in Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana. The Texas and Louisiana companies processed the catalytic converters to extract the precious metals.

Over four years from Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2021, the indictment says, Spick received over $11 million from the sale of catalytic converters.

According to the indictment, Spick withdrew almost $2.5 million in cash from his bank accounts to buy catalytic converters from 2018 to 2021.

California e-scrap recycler caught up in sting operation

Arrow Recovery is under investigation by local police for buying large quantities of black market catalytic converters, despite some having "stolen" etched onto them by undercover officers.Continue Reading→

resource-recycling.com

Arrow Recovery is under investigation by local police for buying large quantities of black market catalytic converters, despite some having “stolen” etched onto them by undercover officers.

Arrow Recovery was served a search warrant in June 2022, and detectives found “multiple 55-gallon drums of refined and semi-refined catalytic converter material, along with approximately eight pallets containing at least 300 suspected stolen catalytic converters,” police said.

In total, Dawkins unlawfully purchased and sold approximately 10,000 – 14,000 or 59,000 pounds of catalytic converters in the last 18 months and reported less than 15 purchased or sold....records show a net of approximately $2,400,000.00 in sales. Along with the shifty records, detectives seized approximately 350 catalytic converters worth over $250,000.00 from a shipment sent by Dawkins the day prior to the service of the warrant.

Thanks for the information about catalytic converters. I knew that people were stealing them, but I had no idea that they contained platinum, rhodium, and palladium. I am astonished that you can make so much money by recycling metal.

 

[DrQ]

IMHO Not a good outcome for the men and their families. One of the LE statements mentioned looking into what the four of them were doing or planned to do. NOT suggesting they were up to a criminal activity but JUST what was actually going on. JK if still a person of interest, probably has more of a story to tell. Don't mean to be grisly but there are some issues that if answered may shed some light on what went down.
1. Dismemberment. Ugly no matter how you look at it. However, many times it is done to make it more difficult to link the crime. In this case, dismembered and shot all located in the same place. Sorry grisly but shot first? I have no clue but in violent cases like this drugs can be involved.
2. JK appears to have a strong criminal history. Unknown if or how well he knew the four men. Something must have gone down for him to run. Did he do it? Did he do it alone? Did he see it happen?
3. Restraining the four men. Correct me if I am wrong but I thought duct tape was mentioned. Maybe he shot one and forced them to tape up each other. Maybe he shot two. They mentioned blood at the salvage yard but not how much.
4. Possibly killed near the water. One person moving four not as easy. Dismembered gross but easier.
5. Maybe something bigger is going on and LE wants higher ups in the crime world.

As with all cases more questions than answers. Hope more to come.

 

[Emerald1328]

It looks like 30 is the standard for AR-15's. I just assume that is what JK had, because everyone has them.
This is the gun of mass shooters too.

However, in what we see with mass shooters outdoors, they frequently miss their targets and shoot randomly.

Also mass shooters tend to be younger and more physically fit than JK. That's why I'm reluctant to believe he was shooting at these guys as they were running around the salvage yard. I think at least one would have gotten away if that was the case.

Good to know! I know nothing about guns so I was thinking it was like 8 or 10. 30 would do the trick but I do think they would’ve had to have been in a confined space or in close proximity to each other for him to get the jump on all four.

 

[neesaki]

Such a tragic situation. Heart felt condolences to the families.

 

[sianlovescats]

Such a tragic situation. Heart felt condolences to the families.

IMHO Not a good outcome for the men and their families. One of the LE statements mentioned looking into what the four of them were doing or planned to do. NOT suggesting they were up to a criminal activity but JUST what was actually going on. JK if still a person of interest, probably has more of a story to tell. Don't mean to be grisly but there are some issues that if answered may shed some light on what went down.
1. Dismemberment. Ugly no matter how you look at it. However, many times it is done to make it more difficult to link the crime. In this case, dismembered and shot all located in the same place. Sorry grisly but shot first? I have no clue but in violent cases like this drugs can be involved.
2. JK appears to have a strong criminal history. Unknown if or how well he knew the four men. Something must have gone down for him to run. Did he do it? Did he do it alone? Did he see it happen?
3. Restraining the four men. Correct me if I am wrong but I thought duct tape was mentioned. Maybe he shot one and forced them to tape up each other. Maybe he shot two. They mentioned blood at the salvage yard but not how much.
4. Possibly killed near the water. One person moving four not as easy. Dismembered gross but easier.
5. Maybe something bigger is going on and LE wants higher ups in the crime world.

As with all cases more questions than answers. Hope more to come.

I honestly cannot understand how a 67-year-old man can, single-handedly, overpower four fit(ish?) young men. The whole thing seems more like a gang-related massacre than a single perp. It doesn't make any sense to me, otherwise!

 

[Elley Mae]

They should be looking in the river for the weapon, where ever he put the bodies in at.

Jmo

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

Just to confirm JK is 66, correct?

Person of interest in quadruple Oklahoma murder arrested in Florida, police say

Salvage yard owner Joe Kennedy was arrested Tuesday in Florida in a vehicle that was reported stolen a day earlier to Oklahoma authorities.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

Just to confirm JK is 66, correct?

Person of interest in quadruple Oklahoma murder arrested in Florida, police say

Salvage yard owner Joe Kennedy was arrested Tuesday in Florida in a vehicle that was reported stolen a day earlier to Oklahoma authorities.

www.cbsnews.com

67, here's a good article with full name

Person of interest in quadruple murder arrested in Daytona Beach Shores

The 67-year-old was charged with theft of a motor vehicle.

www.mynews13.com

 

[Elley Mae]

According to Prentice, investigators were told the four had invited a witness to “hit a lick” that reportedly would have provided enough loot to be split among the group. The term refers to a targeted theft or robbery. The bicycles were reportedly outfitted with small trailer carts, but Prentice said none of the four bikes have been found.

Person of interest in slayings of 4 Okmulgee men arrested in Florida

The four men, whose dismembered bodies were found Friday in a river, reportedly had been planning a criminal activity, and the owner of a nearby salvage yard is considered a person of interest, police said.

tulsaworld.com

 

[Centaurus]

I’m not an expert by any means with a firearm.

But, if four men were in an enclosed space/close range, I could easily take them all out with my fully loaded 9mm (Kimber Micro 9mm), especially if I had the element of surprise and could shoot one or two before they even knew what was happening. However, if they scattered and it was dark, I might be able to only hit one or two.

My guess, this guy gets people regularly attempting to break into his salvage yard and that night… he had enough and lost his ‘you-know-what’. No excuses, this guy had several other options, but to me this was not premeditated, but a rage killing that now he deeply regrets since he fled and was considered suicidal.

All my opinion and speculation.

 

[katydid23]

I've been following this thread since I read about the 4 missing men in the national news last week. There are a couple of issues that bother me. First, I certainly understand that the simplest explanation is usually the truth. But if one person shot these 4, how does one person shoot 4 people and keep them under control? One of the guys would've run when the first was shot. If the shooter had a semi-automatic, that would make sense. Those guns spit out so many bullets in a second that it's ridiculous. But JK didn't seem to use a semi-automatic in his 2012 shooting incident--he only got one guy then. Did he "learn his lesson" and buy a "bigger" gun? If it was just one shooter with a rifle or shotgun, the "violent event" appeared to take place near a wooded area based on the news videos of the LE investigating that area. The men could've run into the woods and likely avoided getting shot with the foliage and tree trunks. Again, unless he had a semi-automatic OR he had help. Was someone else involved? And if a semi-automatic was used, would that alone tear off body parts and give the person the idea to dismember the remainder of the bodies? I don't have any experience with semi-autos beyond what I see in movies (and that's not worth much in reality, I'm sure) and the news.

And that leads me to the next issue. It's unlikely the "lick" of stealing scrap metals would be enough for 5 guys to share and be meaningful--unless a couple of hundred each is a lot of money to them. But IF JK was buying catalytic converters illegally and paying cash (pure speculation there), then maybe they planned to steal a safe holding that cash? That would explain the bike trailers if they were going to haul a safe. Does anyone know whether JK kept safes at the salvage yards? Would a bike trailer support a safe? I'm just bothered by a "lick" big enough for 5 men...at a salvage yard. That assumes that they were going to the salvage yard as they told the last people they spoke to. Other criminal enterprises like drugs and trafficking would certainly lead to large sums of money, but I've seen nothing concrete related to those activities in relation to the salvage yard business or these men.

Just speculation and opinion on my part.

I think it's possible that JK had a very large stash of precious metals, ready to be sold.

Salvage yards have been known to buy large quantities of stolen catalytic converters, and then strip them of their precious metals. There have been recent busts in which 2 million to 11 million dollars worth of stolen loot was stashed in various salvage yards. I linked a few of them upthread somewhere.

It makes me wonder if the 4 guys had planned to steal some of that stashed loot and the owner wasn't having it.

 

[Ragnarok]

How many rounds does a standard gun hold? Unless he was some sharpshooter, I can’t imagine that one standard round of bullets would have been enough to kill 4 grown men. Did he have multiple weapons? An automatic weapon? An accomplice?

Know a guy who had a drum capable of holding 100 .223 cartridges for his mini-14 semi auto rifle. Most magazines or tubes hold 5, 10, 20, 30 cartridges but there are other capacities. Only takes one bullet to kill if placed in the right bodily location. The four could of been cornered and told to kneel/lay down or be shot. Aggressor doesn't need to be a sharpshooter or marksman, just reasonably confident and comfortable with their firearm. Have a firearm pointed at you if in a group, whose going to move first and get shot? Especially if you believe doing as you are told will keep you from being shot.

 

[annpats]

Snipped from video at link - Search for four missing men continues in Okmulgee County

• Pings from Mark's phone indicate they went to a salvage yard, just a couple miles south and spent three hours at that location, before heading to another.

Three hours?!? That's an awfully long time to spend at a salvage yard, nevermind on a Sunday night after dark.
And then they went on to another one!

 

[Friday Fan]

Know a guy who had a drum capable of holding 100 .223 cartridges for his mini-14 semi auto rifle. Most magazines or tubes hold 5, 10, 20, 30 cartridges but there are other capacities. Only takes one bullet to kill if placed in the right bodily location. The four could of been cornered and told to kneel/lay down or be shot. Aggressor doesn't need to be a sharpshooter or marksman, just reasonably confident and comfortable with their firearm. Have a firearm pointed at you if in a group, whose going to move first and get shot? Especially if you believe doing as you are told will keep you from being shot.

I think the consensus is: The shooting is easily explained if the men were somehow cornered or contained. It isn't explained if they were running around outdoors. The salvage yard does not appear to have a fence.