VINITA, Okla. - A 14-year-old was arrested Monday in the alleged murder of his stepmother, says the Oklahoma State Department of Investigation.
A juvenile male entered the Vinita Police Department around 7:30 a.m. Monday and told officers he had killed his stepmother, according to OSBI.
When police arrived at the home, they found multiple guns throughout the house, making it difficult to determine which trigger was pulled.
Special Agent Chris Leamon with OSBI says, " There were gun safes in their rooms and there's lock boxes and that's the stuff we're trying right now to figure out."
OSBI on scene where a Vinita teen told police he killed his stepmother. Teen in custody. @KJRH2HD pic.twitter.com/eo1empPfc5
— Darcy Jackson (@DJacksonKJRH) August 22, 2016
Officers found Laura Beth Hendrix, 38, dead inside the home located at 416 N. Thompson Street. The 14-year-old suspect was arrested by the Vinita Police Department and booked into the Craig County Jail Monday afternoon.
Investigators have not yet released the teen's name due to his age. OSBI says that it appears Hendrix died of a single gunshot wound.
Neighbors say the crime is a tragedy with no happy ending. "I always liked her smile, she had a beautiful smile that's for sure," said Ozzy Lara, one of Hendrix' neighbors. "That's what was special about her I thought."
Another one of the Hendrix' neighbors, John Garrison, says the news comes as a shock. "I don't know what to say. It's a trip, especially in your own neighborhood. You know, we don't have this kind of stuff happening in Vinita."
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