An Endangered Missing Advisory issued Monday said 14-year-old Ivy Webster and 16-year-old Brittany Brewer were last seen with Jesse McFadden, a convicted sex offender.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
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Oklahoma Highway Patrol
An Endangered Missing Advisory issued Monday said 14-year-old Ivy Webster and 16-year-old Brittany Brewer were last seen with Jesse McFadden, a convicted sex offender.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Authorities in Oklahoma discovered seven bodies on a rural property while searching for two missing teenagers on Monday.
The Okmulgee County Sheriff’s office could not immediately confirm the identities of the victims, but said authorities are no longer looking for the two girls or the man they believe they were with them.
“We’ve had our share of trouble and woe, but this is pretty bad,” said Sheriff Eddy Rice.
Here’s what we know so far.
Why were the authorities looking for the two teenagers?
The sheriff’s office first issued an alert Monday morning, saying it was searching 14 year old Ivy Webster.
“She went with a friend on Saturday in the McAlester area and was supposed to return home by 5:00 pm last night,” the warning said.
State authorities then issued a broader EMA, or Endangered Missing Advisory, for Webster and 16 year old Brittany Brewer. They also added Jesse L. McFadden, 39 years old.
The alert said the teens were last seen on Monday at 1:22 pm in Henryetta, and advised that “both are possibly traveling in a white Chevy Avalanche with Jesse McFadden.”
What do we know about the victims?
Police executed a search warrant on McFadden’s property at around 3pm on Monday, where they discovered the seven bodies.
In a brief press conference, the sheriff refused to answer questions about the precise location of the bodies, details about the weapons or the manner of death.
Rice said police were awaiting a medical examiner’s report to identify any of the victims, but said, “we believe we have located the persons” and that police are “no longer looking” for Webster, Brewer and McFadden. The state authorities canceled the EMA on Monday.
Brittany’s father, Nathan Brewer, confirmed to local media News on 6 that his daughter was among the victims.
“Brittany was an outgoing person,” Brewer said in a television interview late Monday. “She was actually chosen to be the next Mrs. Henryetta in July at the national Mrs. pageant in Tulsa and now she’s not going to do it because she’s dead. She’s gone.”
On Tuesday, a Westville, Okla., resident, Janette Mayo, confirmed that the Associated Press whose daughter, 35-year-old Holly Guess, was among the victims. State records show Guess and McFadden apply for a marriage license in 2022.
Mayo’s grandchildren — Rylee Elizabeth Allen, 17, Michael James Mayo, 15 and Tiffany Dore Guess, 13 — were also found dead at the scene, she said.
The Henryetta Public School system issued a statement late Monday where it said that among the victims were “several” students.
“Our hearts are hurting, and we have considered what would be best for our students in the coming days,” the school wrote in a letter to parents, adding that classes will continue, but the graduation ceremonies upcoming graduation scheduled for the week have been postponed. Grief counselors will also be available to students during the week.
What do we know about Jesse McFadden?
The man last seen with the two teenagers was convicted of first-degree rape in 2003 and served 17 years, according to records from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
He was scheduled to appear in Muskogee County court on Monday for a jury trial on charges of soliciting a minor and possession of child pornography in 2017, while records show he was still in prison.
Nathan Brewer told local news outlets that he knew his daughter planned to spend time with McFadden, but was unaware he was a sex offender. He added that his daughter spent the past weekends with the family without problems.
How is the community reacting?
Henryetta, located about 60 miles south of Tulsa, is a rural community of about 6,000 residents known for its annual rodeos and history as a manufacturing center.
On Monday evening, several hundred residents gathered at the local high school for one hour prayer vigil, Tulsa Public Radio’s Elizabeth Caldwell reported. They spread their grief with hugs, tears and calls to faith.
“It’s a tragedy with one individual, but it’s catastrophic when you have seven individuals,” Pastor Ryan Wells said, according to Public Radio Tulsa. “I think everything is so raw right now. We’re still gathering information. There’s a lot to uncover, a lot of details we don’t know.”
