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TODAYS TOP STORIES
DHS Worker Cleared in Serenity Deal Case
A Department of Human Services worker who committed suicide after the murder of a five-year-old girl is now cleared of any wrongdoing. Serenity Deal died one month after DHS workers recommended she be placed in her father's care. Deal's father, Sean Brooks pleaded guilty to murdering her.
After Deal's death, DHS launched an investigation into four workers involved in her case. The department also put the workers on administrative leave, which is common procedure. One of those workers was Donald Wheeler. However, Wheeler committed suicide soon after. Now the Pottawatomie County District Attorney has cleared Wheeler of any wrongdoing in the case.
"I know for his family, they must be so relieved and you know, we have felt so badly for his family through this entire process and we're glad for them that they finally have some resolution to this," said Sheree Powell, Communication Director for DHS.
The DA also cleared Wheeler's supervisor, Wes Priest of any wrongdoing. However, the DA charged two other workers, Jennifer Shawn and Randy Lack for "suppressing evidence" in Deal's case. DHS says Shawn and Lack made the recommendation to place Deal back with her father who later killed her. Their court case is ongoing.
MARISA MENDELSON
FOX 25 - INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
MLMENDELSON@OKCFOX.COM
Posted: Tuesday, November 13 2012, 10:07 PM CST
IN OKLAHOMA NEWS
Okla. court upholds life sentence in uncle's death
May 17, 2013 21:34 GMT
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma appeals court has upheld the life prison sentence of a 38-year-old man who was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his uncle to death.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals handed down the decision Friday in the case of Patrick Shane Yargee. A jury in Tulsa County found Yargee guilty in the 2010 shooting death of 48-year-old David Willie Harjo.
Authorities alleged that Yargee shot Harjo eight times in a residence in northern Tulsa. Reports filed in the case indicate that the two men had an argument involving a woman before the shooting.
The five-judge court unanimously rejected Yargee's claims that he was denied a fair trial.
Yargee's defense attorney, Stuart Southerland of the Tulsa County Public Defender's Office, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
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