What we know: Law enforcement arrest 22-year-old suspect in connection with Chickasha triple homicide
Below is what we know from newly released court documents
Below is what we know from newly released court documents
Below is what we know from newly released court documents
A 22-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday, days after authorities say he allegedly shot and killed his parents and sister at a Chickasha home.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service found Jacob Mayhugh in Oklahoma City, according to OSBI.
An arrest warrant was issued for Jacob in connection with the murders of James, Patty and Shayla Mayhugh.
Below is what we know from newly released court documents.
The victims
Court documents and Chickasha residents identified the victims as James, Patty and Shayla Mayhugh. The three were the 22-year-old man’s father, mother and sister.
The suspect
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation identified the suspect as Jacob Mayhugh. When the investigation began, OSBI officials said he was considered a person of interest.
An arrest warrant for three counts of first-degree murder has been issued for the 22-year-old.
Jacob was found in Oklahoma City by multiple law enforcement agencies on Tuesday, and he was arrested, according to OSBI. Police did not specifically say how or where he was arrested, but employees at a Bricktown hotel near Sheridan and Joe Carter avenues confirmed he was arrested outside of the business.
Where the triple homicide happened
On the morning of May 11, the bodies of James, Patty and Shayla Mayhugh were found inside a Chickasha home near Sixth Street and Washington Avenue.
Chickasha is a city in Grady County with a population of more than 16,000 people. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Oklahoma City.
What happened
A probable cause affidavit states that the Chickasha Police Department received a call around 11:25 a.m. on May 11 about shell casings found on the front porch of a home on Sixth Street near Washington Avenue. The caller also reported that there may have been dead people inside the home.
Police responded to the scene, forcing their way into the home and finding a black AR-15 rifle in the front entryway. The affidavit says they also found three people – James, Shayla and Patty Mayhugh – dead inside the home.
An investigation showed that the rifle’s serial number matched one bought by Jacob on April 25. Police also found several spent shell casings on the ground inside the home.
According to the affidavit, a master sergeant with the Chickasha Police Department knew the victims and that Shayla lived with her brother, Jacob, down the street. The 22-year-old man nor the GMC Yukon that he was known to drive could be found.
A warrant was later served at Jacob’s home, but the scene was clear and no one was inside.
The day before the bodies were found
The affidavit states that on May 10, Jacob told his girlfriend that he was going to eat pizza at his parents’ house on Sixth Street. He left her apartment at 4:43 p.m.
Around 5:22 p.m., Patty texted Jacob that dinner was ready. The text message was later found during an analysis of Patty’s phone.
The abandoned GMC
The Oklahoma City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team found the GMC Yukon that Jacob was known to drive using flock cameras in OKC.
The affidavit stated that the vehicle Jacob was known to drive on Flock cameras several times between 5:44 p.m. on May 10 and 4:30 p.m. on May 11, when it was found near the intersection of Walker and California avenues. Flock cameras also determined that a man parked the vehicle and walked away at about 7:07 p.m. on May 10.
Authorities said Jacob's girlfriend identified the man as the 22-year-old.
The GMC was locked, and no one was inside, according to the affidavit.
An OSBI special agent found a black cellphone in a pink case; a black wallet containing Jacob’s driver’s license and $738 in cash; the car’s keys; and two AR-15 magazines loaded with ammunition with writing on them in white paint, according to the affidavit.
The AR-15 magazine found inside the rifle found at the Chickasha home also had white paint with similar markings as the two found in the GMC, the court documents say.
The alleged confession
According to court documents that KOCO 5 obtained on May 16, Jacob Mayhugh confessed to OSBI agents that he confessed to the murders of James, Patty and Shayla Mayhugh. He also outlined a plan to kill his family and "to commit other acts of violence." Those other acts, however, are unknown.
The Chickasha community's reaction
Those who live near the home said they were shocked at the loss of their neighbors.
"Everybody knows who they are. They were really engrained into the community, as far as I know, for forever. They were some of the sweetest people," Jeni Richardson, a Chickasha resident, said.
Family members of the victims were in town from out of state on Monday afternoon. They told KOCO 5 that they wanted to honor their lives, saying they were wonderful people, and they were shocked this could happen.
"They were all three amazing, loving, caring people. They did so much for so many people in the community," a coworker of two of the victims said. "They kept the shop alive and living with so many jokes and laughter."