WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — He kept to himself and was considered a reclusive individual by some, but investigators have no idea why anyone would want Jeff Derrick dead.
In 2021, a group of fishermen found him dead at a local fishing spot in Wagoner County.
Jessica Derrick admits that her father had some issues, and would often wander from place to place.
"I know that he had some personal issues with an ex-girlfriend that caused him not to have a place to stay,” she said.
She admits that her father abused drugs and was considered an addict.
But before that, she says she and her dad did everything together, especially when she was younger.
'My dad was my first best friend. When I was younger, we literally did everything together. We worked, we fished, we broke horses and there wasn't a lot of time that we were apart,” said Jessica.
As time went on, she says they began to drift apart but still spoke every now and again.
Wagoner County Investigator, Ben Noble says they received a call one snowy night in 2021, saying that a man’s body had been discovered.
A group of people who were fishing at Coal Creek noticed a body leaning up against a tree, and when they went over to investigate, they discovered that it was Jeff Derrick.
Jessica says she will never forget the phone call that changed her life forever.
"I was in shock because I hadn't seen my dad for a little while. I had only talked to him a couple of weeks before,” she said.
Jessica says her dad had been staying at an Inn just a few miles from where his body was found.
"He had some friends that had actually covered the bill for the first few days of the Sleepy Traveler, so he had a place to stay,” she said.
Investigators say the weather at the time of his murder had an impact on the case.
"There was snow on the ground when all this happened which made evidence recovery really difficult. The next morning, almost all of that snow was gone, and we located I want to say 3 spent shell casings and one projectile,” said Investigator, Ben Noble.
Besides missing her father, she says it’s the unanswered questions that still linger and make it difficult.
"I don't care why. I want to know who. They took it upon themselves to play God and kill my dad, and the wounds that he acquired from being shot weren't fatal. They made the choice to leave him there,” said Jessica.
If you have any information about the death of Jeff Derrick, you are asked to contact the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office at 918-485-3124.
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
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
