Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #1

SeriouslySearching · #1 06-09-2008, 07:02 AM

They are reporting this on our local news and LE is still working the scene. It happened near the town of Weleetka, OK on a desolate county road around 5:30 pm on Sunday.

The two young friends had gone for a walk while waiting on one girl's mother to pick her up from a sleep-over. When they didn't return, a relative (reportedly the father) found them both shot on the side of the road about a quarter of a mile from their house. The scene was reported as being "grisly". OSBI and the Okfuskee County Sheriff's Dept. are trying to piece together any evidence at the scene.

Here is the report finally:

Tragedy Hits A Small Town

An investigation is underway into a double homicide in Okfuskee County.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says an 11-year old girl and her 13-year old friend left an apartment Sunday in Weeletka and went for a walk. A short time later, the older girl's father found them both dead along a dirt road.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8450014 < Story has one girl's photo

Video: http://www.newson6.com/global/video/...4&rnd=66670487

SeriouslySearching · #2 06-09-2008, 09:34 AM

I wonder if they came upon a drug deal? I know that drugs in that area are prevalent with Meth being huge.

I would hate to suspect the father, but we all know these things do happen. They said the girls were not gone very long when he went to find them. I am also curious now that they state they left an "apartment". The original reports were indicating the home was in the country on this desolate county road. I find that to be a strange discrepancy.

Taximom · #3 06-09-2008, 09:49 AM

What time of day/night was it that they went for this walk? I would be questioning the dad too. I hope he's not a molester and saw only one way out. (Sorry to all the good dads out there.)

This is horrible.

I'm SO glad they have OSBI working on this since it is rural.

nanandjim · #4 06-09-2008, 10:19 AM

I also hate to suspect the father...BUT...The person that finds them is a suspect...until he can be eliminated. My imagination is running wild with the father as the central figure in all of this. I hope that I am wrong.

philamena · #5 06-09-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nanandjim

I also hate to suspect the father...BUT...The person that finds them is a suspect...until he can be eliminated. My imagination is running wild with the father as the central figure in all of this. I hope that I am wrong.

I totally agree nan.
The girl's murders themselves is horrible enough.
To think that a family member committed the crime is sickening.
Most murdered children are killed by someone they know. That is a proven statistic.

SeriouslySearching · #6 06-09-2008, 10:32 AM

They said it was 5:30 pm Sunday evening. It would have been broad daylight. The other interesting note is that it was nearing time for the girl's mother to come pick her up from the sleepover the night before. The TOD will be critical in this case.

blaize · #7 06-09-2008, 10:45 AM

Awful story. I too hope it doesn't turn out to be the dad.

SeriouslySearching · #8 06-09-2008, 10:48 AM

They say they are gathering very good evidence from the scene and have had a lot of tips rolling in since the news broke. I hope it won't take long to track down the person responsible. What a horrific thing for the families!

I cannot imagine being the poor girl's mother on her way to pick her up and getting there to find she is gone in such a brutal manner. A nightmare!

SeriouslySearching · #9 06-09-2008, 10:55 AM

WELEETKA — Two girls were found dead last night north of Weleetka in Okfuskee County, authorities said.

Their names haven't been released, but their ages are 11 and 13.

About 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the girls went for a walk. A short time later, the father of one of the girls began searching for them after he became concerned when they didn’t return home. The man found the bodies of the girls about one-quarter mile from his home near a dirt road.

"This is a case that involves two innocent girls that were walking out on their own," said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Inspector Stan Florence. "Some evidence has been found at the scene which may be useful to us. We have spent a lot of time going down this road looking for evidence."

http://newsok.com/article/3254870

SeriouslySearching · #10 06-09-2008, 11:03 AM

List of sex offenders living in Weleetka, OK:

ODOC# 176500 Timothy P Creech

ODOC# 159542 Will Ernest Frye Jr

ODOC# 449823 Michael James Hensley

ODOC# 383029 Billy Ray Walker Jr

http://docapp8.doc.state.ok.us/servl...isdiction=2765

SeriouslySearching · #11 06-09-2008, 11:17 AM

I don't understand why the news is so slow in coming out about this. If it happened yesterday, they should be all over this by now. Most of the news reports are on air, but not online. I have so many questions already.

Was there anyone else in the home where the girls spent the night besides the father? Did the mother of the other girl talk to her before the walk or during the day? Did the father know specifically the girls were going to walk down an isolated road and it is why he knew to look for them there? Were they sexually assaulted? How long were they actually gone?

Taximom · #12 06-09-2008, 11:37 AM

I have a feeling since OSBI is involved, lips are tight! It's much more interesting when local LE is talking with the media though, isn't it?

This is just so weird. One would think RSO's (or even unregistereds) would want to pick the girls up and not hurt them at that moment. If they resisted maybe they got shot? Then again, we need more info like SS is asking. I still need more info about the dad. Do we know names yet? I'd love to see if he's got anything in his background. Just curious right now, not blaming.

I hope LE is on it like we expect.

SeriouslySearching · #13 06-09-2008, 11:37 AM

Video: http://www.koco.com/video/16547226/index.html <Skyla's grandmother's interview

One girl is identified as: 11 yo Skyla Whitaker. (The one visiting and not the daughter.)

It shows a home not an apartment and refers to it as a house.

The grandmother said they thought they were always safe walking up and down their road. The officer said it was a common activity for them.

blaize · #14 06-09-2008, 12:49 PM

In the video it looks like a rural area so I understand why the families would think the road close to home would be safe enough to take strolls on. Was the woman in the last video the grandmother or the mom? I ask because she seems completely flat, in shock, totally numb except for that one reference to the child saying 'I know'.

SeriouslySearching · #15 06-09-2008, 01:22 PM

They identify her as Claudia Farrow, Skyla's Grandmother.

They still are not releasing the name of the other girl which I find odd.

blaize · #16 06-09-2008, 01:45 PM

Thanks SS. Yes that is odd, maybe someone in the family hasn't yet been notified of her death?

noZme · #17 06-09-2008, 01:46 PM

Maybe the other girl's name has not been released because all family notifications have nor been made.

One of the reports last night said there had been a storm & downpour.... that would make evidence recovery difficult. I hope investigators were able to salvage enough forensics to make a good case.

Who else is wondering about the father? It's hard not jumping ahead, isn't it? It does look rural; a couple reports have said the girls often walked that route. My alternate theory is girls that age may have been meeting a boy down the road. For all involved, I hope the solution comes soon.

SeriouslySearching · #18 06-09-2008, 02:19 PM

One of the locals on the comments section mentioned the rumor is that the girls were meeting a couple of boys on ATVs. It is only chatter, but we know how word does get out at times from the local grapevine. The girls also attend a school at Graham according to those posters, too. (must be a tiny community as I have never heard of it)

MeoW333 · #19 06-10-2008, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeriouslySearching

One of the locals on the comments section mentioned the rumor is that the girls were meeting a couple of boys on ATVs. It is only chatter, but we know how word does get out at times from the local grapevine. The girls also attend a school at Graham according to those posters, too. (must be a tiny community as I have never heard of it)

Was that rumor confirmed at all? I wonder if there was some local boys who decided it "fun" to shoot them. We here about kids doing sick things these days; killing their families and everything else..

SuziQ · #20 06-09-2008, 02:39 PM

I want a TOD and timeline on this. Absolutely horrible crime.

absinthe · #21 06-09-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuziQ

Absolutely horrible crime.

I am speechless but I echo this sentiment..

SuziQ · #22 06-09-2008, 02:44 PM

I wonder who the suspect is?

http://newsok.com/article/3254870

Investigators combed the area last night before heavy rains hit the area. Tire tracks were found on the dirt road and were preserved, as well as other evidence found at the scene. Choate said there is a suspect in the case.

BrowneyedEmily · #23 06-09-2008, 02:47 PM

Me too. Hopefully it's someone they can catch today. This guy/these guys need to get off the street.

I'm leaning towards what someone else mentioned, that it was a drug deal:

"Sheriff's officials said they have some leads but no official suspects yet. They think that whoever killed the girls is probably local to the area and that the girls might have stumbled upon something they weren't supposed to see."

http://www.koco.com/news/16547383/detail.html

SeriouslySearching · #24 06-09-2008, 02:50 PM

Her name is Taylor Placker, 13 years old.

If they have a suspect, it won't take them long to round him up for questioning. Things move along pretty quickly in Oklahoma. They don't play games and go right to the heart of the matter. (Notice he said "suspect" not POI.) I guess it could be why I get so impatient with other agencies across the country.

Beyond Belief · #25 06-09-2008, 08:59 PM

I hope this is solved quickly. These murderers need to be off the streets.