June 5, 2021 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Saturday, June 5, 2021 Weekend Edition Former Elk City woman searches Beckham County Sheriff’s Office is investigating of a for owner of family heirloom the 2019-20 fiscal year. Pendent may have been taken in theft $17.2 million figure is with in Erick five months ago and that the child’s information was put into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons what he could find and then bring it to my house. I spotted this among his things and quietly took it because I knew it had to mean something to someone. I know it has to be sentimental.” were not released by our office - regarding a NAMUS entry At the time she came to possess the pendant, Duncan herself had not lived in Elk City long. “My husband and I were going through a rough patch because we had The district lost our could jobs. We notliving were find out of state. I had never lived in Oklahoma, but my dad and brothers were living there. We decided to move down for work. I was able to get a job at Walmart, and we Friends and Family invited got an apartment,” she said. Duncan stated that her apartment was in Park Place on Broadway. to Bill and Kathy Noble “This may not be at all where it was taken from, but it also could Department of Human Services officials are working with the fiscal year ended. He be. I don’t know. I want to make sure that the people there know as many details as possible so it can be returned to the rightful owner. 50th wedding anniversary Hunt,this,” It feels like there is a family who is missing payroll/insurance Duncan stated. By Shonda Little to the current fiscal year, but 48 years, with 40 of Duncan has searched for an obituary for David Cook through continues, and a final Google. A look at longtime Elk City residents Bill and Kathy Noble will She found an obituary for a David Lee Cook with the same years show their love is still new like star-eyed teenagers, and life is of birth and death in that search. The Whinery Funeral Service in fun as two giddy grandparents eager to indulge their grandkids. Sayre performed the funeral. As the pair celebrates their 50th wedding anniversary this “I looked at the survivors and reached out to them through Face- Sunday from 3-5 pm at Elk City’s Carnegie Hall, their son Rob- book but never heard back from any of them. I can see that some ert exclaims that both are true. “It is a come-and-go reception,” Robert explained. “The only of them haven’t even seen the message. I thought about calling the Later on Tuesday on the sheriff’s office FB page, Manning gift that we request is coming to celebrate our parents and tell them sheriff’s said officialsonhad thisfound documents I knowthat theyconfirmed funeral home, but then I thought about the newspaper. I really hope congratulations milestone. are proud that you guys can help me get this back to where it should be. When to have been married this long, but they made it look easy for I was moving, I had put it in my jewelry box and forgot about it. us. They are both great parents separately, but together really flawless, and When I found it again, that got me motivated that to do mydoesn’t best to do By Shonda Little made a great team. I think my sister and I both took separate the right thing and return it,” Duncan said. things from them. I know I feel blessed with all those lessons. Last week, a Wichita Falls woman reached out to the Elk City Duncan said the medallion appears to be sterling silver. Elk City has been their home for most of their married life, and News through Facebook Messenger in her search for the rightful “It has .925 on it,” she said. “It is a little tarnished, but I’m sure it I know they would love to see everyone.” owner of a pendant. is precious to whoever this belongs to.” The Nobles were both Stillwater natives and were high school With a thumbprint on one side and the name David Cook en- Duncan and her husband enjoy living in Wichita Falls. Still, she satisfied sweethearts. that the circumstances through which he came to ton – 1978, 1982 and 1984 – and one state “As the story goes, my mother’s father was at a stoplight in graved on the other. would be willing to do whatever it takes to return the keepsake. The years 1988-2018 are also engraved below the name. The me- “My car isn’t reliable enough to drive to Elk City right now. I Stillwater one day and saw this young guy go speeding past him dallion is similar to those sold by local and national funeral homes would be happy to mail itbeen or toameet coachsomeone for 48 years – a head in Texas. football I hope this in a little sports car. He came home and told my mother, his in remembrance of a deceased loved one. coach finds the right person,” she sighed.for 40 years – and has an overall re daughter, that she would never go out with a boy who was driv- Ashlie Duncan is honest about how she came to possess the trea- Duncan encourages thecord of 307-147 possible ownerand to a playoff reach record out in of 44- multiple ing like that. Little did he know that my dad would be coming by sured keepsake. ways. 24. He played football at Oklahoma State. that “Our evening strengthtoistake goinghertoout on a date,” increase Robert laughed. dramati Kathy’s maiden name was Buckner, a name a future father-in- “I believe this was taken from the Elk City or Sayre area about “They can message me on Facebook or email me at yayamumby@ cally,” he said. “The [players’] confidence in law likely saw often throughout his professional career. After all, three years ago,” Duncan explained. “My brother was not in a good gmail.com,” she said. both Bill and Kathy’s fathers had first met as students at Kan- place at that time, and he was breaking into vehicles. He would steal Duncan can also be reached at (940)224-8722. sas State University, and both became professors at Oklahoma State University in the animal science department. “Mom’s mother was a teacher, so she was drawn to that early in life, I believe. With both his dad and his father-in-law work- Arrest warrant issued for 1st-degree during an interview in the athletic office at ing asOfficials naturally in in professors from their drawn Beckham estimated to that. Mom County veterinary budget andhave andthis animalcutsciences, Dadyear, nearly $1 werewith 20 and Dadmillion final the22-years- was approval old when of the they 2019-20 married. Theyfiscal knew year budget what they coming wanted to doinbut the murder suspect didn’t know exactly where that would take them,” Robert said. After Kathy graduated from OSU, she began her long career as a public educator while Bill completed a doctorate in veterinary 2019-20 medicine. the search isbudget on to findat their weeklycoordi an offensive meeting Monday. The fina respond to a call for a shooting involving a 25-year-old Elk City man. The accident Occurred just after 6 p.m. in a hay field 3 “Dad finished school in 1978, and I was born in 1980 in Tulsa,” That man was identified as Isaiah Toran Johnson. over to the Robert state“By recounted. by1983, the first we had of moved October. with to Elk City.” BillCain hadtried takentowork repair something under hisElk 1986 Ford F350 Johnson had initially claimed to have been shot while walking as a veterinarian with City Animal down the street near North Watkins, West Avenue A and West Av- Hospital. enue B. excise “It was board gives located on the final North approval Main Street then.and signs When it off came onfor it This area is near the tennis courts north His starting date isofthe thefirst ElkMonday City Public after sale, Dad decided to buy it and become the primary vet through Schools. theHartman, Beckham practice. County He bought County the new Clerk. place, an oldFire, oilfield Johnson reportedly claimed that he Beckham Sheriff’s Office, Carter Elkbuilding, City Fire, ourwalked to Great first phase of hePlains CAPS Re- County in 1989. officials Dad’s focus was said to in April be a vet that changes primarily for petsin —themostly budget gional Medical Center to get treatment for a gunshot wound to the dogs and cats. He has taken care of many raccoons and ferrets right upper chest area that continued into his right upper arm and and more than I can count. I will say that he cares very much for lodged inside his arm. tion his scheme patients.for the Elk aoffense. Anytime On the pet is lost, de he grieves as though he lost However, ECPD officers searched the area and believed that the the pet personally,” Robert said. shooting actually occurred inside a residence located on the 600 As the child of a vet, Robert jokes that maintenance work was block of North Watkins Avenue. not The always county fun. cut $998,696 from its budget, Hartman said WANTED The officers learned that the homeowner had exited the house and “There was a lot of scooping poop and cleaning cages,” Robert had told him that he was the shooter. giggled, “but Dad was wonderful when we lost a pet. We had Royse Johnson Officers entered the residence to secure the scene and discovered department many pets or up. growing every Theofficial specialgives their one for estimate me was ofShel- a little what the apparent deceased body in the bedroom, lying face down near tonthey’re namedneeding Nikki. We for hadthe year,” her a longHartman time. She said. “The up was getting excise in By Shonda Little the bed in a pool of blood. a number of years. I can’t recall how many, but older than most The deceased person was later identified couldtostay be 39-year-old on the floorSamuel the dogs get to be. We had an annual tradition of going to church for With any case that involves a death, law enforcement tends to Castro, Jr. Christmas and then heading to our grandparents in Stillwater. spend months investigating, checking each person’s story to ensure Court filings indicate that the homeowner acted in self-defense That year we brought Nikki because Dad knew that she couldn’t they have the case correctly filed. a.m. with Hot Hash and and has been cleared of all charges. In fact, the gun used to kill Cas- be alone. She was in kidney failure. He and Mom probably un- Likewise, Oklahoma law dictates that any death that occurs in tro is believed to have been brought into the home by the alleged “We her derstood don’ttimeknowwasthose shorter figures yet,”She than I did. shended said.up “We’re dying atkind the commission of a felony can result in murder or manslaughter burglars. my grandparents’. We wrapped her in a blanket and brought her charges. Such is the case for the following narrative. Immediately following the alleged crime, Johnson was charged back home to bury. Those are special memories. As sad as I was yearI look then, beforebackand current and see howyearmuch figures and help my parents werethe county teaching According to an arrest warrant filed in the Beckham County Dis- with first-degree murder. His initial bond was set at $1,000,000 but trict Court on May 24, Elk City Police Department detectives did has since been lowered to $500,000. us about life.” “But we’ve Robert says hismadelittle20 percent sister, cuts; some Jacqueline Pruittoffices followed their just that when looking into a botched robbery gone wrong last year. The ECPD detective noted that he had spent several hours in- As a result, a 29-year-old Elk City man has now been charged with terviewing other persons of interest, witnesses and completing a father’s footsteps closer than he did in pursuing animal sciences. first-degree murder. search warrant at the crime scene. “Jacqueline and her husband Jimmie both raise livestock. Dad A fire that burned the Team Chip Tae Kwon Witnesses interviewed allegedly corroborated that Johnson, Cas- wasgetfocused those final more onfigures takingfrom carethem, of it’s smallerkind of animals,waitbutand she Authorities now want Elijah Dean Royse in relation to an alleged Do building Tuesday afternoon in the 1400 crime that was reportedly committed last November. tro, and Royse, also known as “Doughboy,” had left a residence lo- got that in the bloodline from him. She works for the Depart- a definite date set for the ment Commissioners of Agriculture in gave farmtheir final Iapproval services. would sayfor theboth that figures of Court paperwork filed on behalf of Beckham County District At- cated at the 400 block of North Main together at approximately 3 am on the night in question. us would say that we got our strong work ethic from Mom and torney Angela Marsee states that, if found guilty, Royse could be first in the weekend in evening November. Dad,” he stated. fire chief punished for the by death, Elk City Fire imprisonment Department. for life, or imprisonmentNo for life Royse was allegedly seen with a pistol earlier of While his little sister followed closer to her grandfathers’ and injuries without occurred. possibility Two people in the build of parole. November 21, 2020, at that residence. there,careers, father’s at leastRobert one account has closely in there,” mirroredHartman his mother. said. inginvestigation The escaped unharmed. began when ElkTheCity main part Police ofcalled were the in the The pistol also reportedly matched the description of the pistol seized from the crime scene and is said to be the pistol that shot Hartman could not provide an exact figure. The public fire occurred in the hot water heater area. early morning in response to an alleged home burglary that left one 75 children this year. That figure was up from 40 last year. See Noble page 2. man dead. $12,130. The insurance company also is investigating. See Royse page 2. At approximately 5:30 am, the ECPD detective was called in to Weather Vol. Vol. 119, 117, No.No.545 Mail delivery Home delivery View online View online tomorrow 99/70 78 / 63 75 cents, 128pgs. 75 cents, pgs. 580.225.3000 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com elkcityoknews.com