In the early morning hours of December 17, 2016, a horrific scene unfolded in an Oklahoma City home that claimed the lives of 41-year-old Julia Mason, a Caucasian female, and her young son. Firefighters were dispatched to their residence on Northwest 80th Street around 5 a.m. following a report of a house fire. Upon arrival, they found the home engulfed in flames, with fire visible from both the front and back of the structure.
After extinguishing the blaze, emergency responders made a grim discovery inside a downstairs bedroom.
Inside the room, they located Julia Mason and her 7-year-old son, Keagen Bruce. Julia was pronounced dead at the scene, having suffered a brutal and violent attack. Her son, Keagen, was found still alive and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Tragically, the young boy succumbed to his injuries later that same day. The subsequent investigation by law enforcement quickly determined that the fire was not accidental but had been intentionally set in an attempt to cover up a far more sinister crime.
The medical examiner's report would later reveal the horrifying extent of the violence inflicted upon mother and son. Both had been severely beaten and had sustained multiple stab wounds before the fire was started. Julia had been stabbed more than a dozen times across her torso and skull and had also suffered several broken bones, including a broken jaw. Investigators also suspected that she may have been sexually assaulted. Her son, Keagen, had also been repeatedly stabbed in the skull and beaten. Gasoline had reportedly been poured on Julia's body before the fire was ignited.
In the course of their investigation, police identified a potential person of interest. A man who was a suspect in the rape of an elderly woman who lived down the street from the Mason family also became a suspect in the double homicide. However, despite this lead, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the brutal murders of Julia Mason and her son. The case remains an active and unsolved investigation with the Oklahoma City Police Department. A reward has been offered for any information that could lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this devastating crime that left a community in mourning.
