A 66-year-old woman was found deceased by a possible gunshot wound in the Powderly community on Thursday evening, where it was also found that the victim’s vehicle and purse were taken from the scene by fleeing suspects.
According to Lamar County Sheriff Scott Cass, the sheriff’s office responded to the call of a deceased person found in the 3000 block of FM 2648 in Powderly (map inset), about ten to fifteen miles northeast of Paris.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Texas Rangers arrived on scene to find the victim at the back of the residence, where she suffered a possible gunshot wound, the sheriff said.
“Further, it was found that the victim’s vehicle and purse had been taken from the residence,” he said. “Activity on the victim’s stolen credit cards showed activity at retail stores in the McAlester, Oklahoma area.”
“Authorities from the McAlester Police Department obtained surveillance video of the suspects using the victim’s credit cards at a retail store in the McAlester area,” the sheriff continued, “and subsequently a positive identification was made of the suspects as 17-year-old Ashley Morrison and a 16-year-old white male juvenile.”
Oklahoma authorities working in connection with Sheriff Detectives and Texas Rangers apprehended the male juvenile and Morrison outside of Sapulpa, Oklahoma at about 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, only just hours after the call reporting the finding of the deceased body came into the sheriff’s office.
According to authorities, arrest warrants for both suspects were issued out of the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office for the charge of murder.
“Both suspects are currently in Sapulpa, Oklahoma awaiting extradition,” Sheriff Cass said. “Further investigation to continue; our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”