MCCURTAIN COUNTY, Okla. — The reporter at the center of several explosive articles alleging corruption in McCurtain County is speaking to the media for the first time.
This after the newspaper released a three-hour audio recording of McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy and other county officials allegedly plotting to kill the reporter and his dad, the publisher, as well as reminiscing about the days of lynching black people.
Also, for the first time in history, as of Monday,the McCurtain Gazette News has an online presence.
In total, the McCurtain Gazette has published 43 articles regarding possible mishandlings involving the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office and others.
Reporter Chris Willingham says his dad, the publisher (Bruce Willingham), is “pretty old school” and that he “likes people to hold the paper in their hands and read it.” That’s why, until now, they didn’t maintain a website.
Both began fearing for their lives ahead of the most recent investigative series in the newspaper, which included that infamous audio recording that made national headlines. On April 16, 2023, Bruce titled a Letter from the Editor, “A Good, Long Run,” alluding to fears that the articles could lead to his death.
“That’s how we felt,” said Chris. “This seemed very real; it didn’t seem like a joke. It wasn’t a one-off comment. This was planning; it seemed to be planning.”
Articles the public outside of McCurtain County can now see online include allegations of tainted homicide evidence, questionable promotions and a lack of investigating cases. One of those cases involves the mysterious death of Alyssa Walker-Donaldson in Hochatown.
“There was 150 people assembled in Hochatown saying, ‘We are here, we are ready to go search, where do we go look?’ And they had no figurehead to lead them. You would think there would be a sheriff or at least a deputy there, and they didn’t have that.”
According to the article, a group of volunteer citizens discovered her body submerged in a lake.
Chris says he’s reported on a lack of investigation in several cases. “Oftentimes I just felt like I was screaming into the wind with these articles, and I would just go, ‘here’s another one. I hope someone will listen.’”
2News was one of the first larger markets to catch on to the investigations in McCurtain County, which Chris says helped amplify the situation to a larger scale. He’s grateful for support from his community as well as the Idabel Police Department to help keep him feeling safe.
He says he plans to simply keep doing his job.
“They’ve tried to intimidate me and my family and retaliate and spread horrible lies about me,” he said. “They can keep doing that. They can do whatever they want, but they’re not going to silence me.”
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
