Two girls were killed on a county road in Okfuskee County. The girls were shot and investigators have released a sketch of a man seen nearby.
OKEMAH, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma investigators on Monday released part of a 911 call made to authorities after two young girls were found shot to death as detectives appealed to the public for new information that could help them solve the case.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation played a portion of the audio recording during a news conference to discuss the 7-week-old murder case of Skyla Whitaker, 11, and Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13.
In it, the grandmother of one of the girls could be heard screaming that the girls were dead on a county road and pleading with the dispatcher to send assistance.
“Yes, somebody’s killed two girls … my grandbaby, and … her friend! I’m on county line road!” the woman said.
“What happened down there?”
“I don’t know. They went for a walk and they’re both …, now they’re dead!”
After back and forth with the dispatcher about her location, the grandmother’s voice became increasing frantic.
“Please, please, please! Lord help me please! Oh God, oh God, oh God! My babies, babies, babies!”
The girls were shot several times each on June 8 less than a half-mile from the house where one of the girls lived.
“It breaks your heart hearing that doesn’t it?” Brown said afterward. “Someone knows something. Listen to that, understand what it’s done to these people, what it’s done to the community and just come forward,” Brown said. “Give us the idea, the places to look because these people need to be caught.”
Authorities initially declined to make the 911 call public at the request of family members, but Brown said investigators persuaded them to change their minds and 82 seconds of the 6-minute, 22-second recording were released.
Investigators have released a sketch of a tall, American Indian man whom witnesses described seeing near the murder scene around the time of the killings, but that man hasn’t come forward for questioning.
Investigators have determined two different guns were used in the killing, which suggests there may have been two people involved in the shooting.
Authorities have said the reason behind the killings could have been anything from the girls happening upon a drug deal, a random thrill killing or an attempted abduction.
The FBI and the U.S. Marshal Service are now helping with the investigation, Brown said. A pool of 14 to 15 investigators from the OSBI, FBI, Marshal Service and the Okfuskee County sheriff’s and district attorney office continue to work on the case, she said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives provided a specially trained dog to comb the crime scene and the marshal service has contributed to a reward of more than $30,000 for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest and conviction.
Meanwhile, interviews and polygraph tests have eliminated 100 people as suspects, Brown said.
“We want to see the right people come forward and not those wanting to get back at a former boyfriend. That’s what we’re dealing with now.”
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