Dismembered bodies found in Oklahoma river belong to 4 missing friends, person of interest named
OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA: Four friends from Oklahoma who went missing after a bike ride have been identified from the human remains discovered late last week near a waterway, reported The Sun. Friends Mark Chastain, 32, Mike Sparks, 32, Billy Chastain, 30, and Alex Stevens, 29 were on a weekend bike ride in Oklahoma on October 9.
The bodies found in the Deep Fork River in south Okmulgee on Friday, October 14, were those of the four friends, according to information released on Monday, October 17, by the Okmulgee department. According to Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice, the bodies were dismembered and covered in gunshot wounds. Police claimed that they found evidence of a "violence event" after searching a nearby scrap yard.
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Investigators believe the friends were attempting to plan a crime before going missing. Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice stated, "We believe the men planned to commit some kind of criminal act when they left the resident on West 6th Street." Referring to a phrase for illegally obtaining money, the police chief said, "That belief is based on information supplied by a witness who reports they were invited to go with the men to 'hit a lick' big enough for all of them."
According to police, Mark's phone was last pinged at a scrap yard that is owned by a man named Joe Kennedy who is being investigated as a person of interest. Okmulgee police shared the information regarding the suspect on Facebook and wrote, "Joe Kennedy's blue PT Cruiser has been located and is in police custody. It was abandoned behind a business in Morris Oklahoma. Investigators are looking into how it came to be there. Currently we have no vehicle information for Kennedy."
Investigators spoke with Kennedy on Friday, but he has since vanished and may be suicidal, according to Prentice. The remains had probably been submerged in water since October 9, according to Chief Prentice. The Sun reports that on Monday, according to the authorities, the last of the victim's dismembered body parts had been removed. Prentice stated, "I’ve worked over 80 murders in my career. I have worked on murders involving multiple victims. I have worked dismemberment. But this case involves the highest number of victims, and it’s a very violent event. So I can’t say I’ve never worked anything like it, but it’s right up there at the top."
The news report says that no charges were filed against Kennedy.