On the Fourth of July in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, 34-year-old Brandon Terrell Smith was found dead in the street near his home at approximately 4 p.m.. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. The holiday celebration was tragically cut short by the violence that befell Smith, leaving a community in search of answers.
The initial investigation by the Sapulpa Police Department led them to a suspect named Bogi Maxwell.
Evidence, including cell phone records showing communication between Maxwell and Smith before the incident, pointed to Maxwell's presence at Smith's house prior to the shooting. This led to Maxwell's arrest and charges of first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. For a time, it seemed as though the case was on its way to being solved.
However, in a significant turn of events, the murder charge against Bogi Maxwell was dismissed on July 31, 2024, although he still faced the firearm charge. New information emerged from witnesses that shifted the focus of the investigation entirely. This new evidence pointed towards a different individual, Drake Heath, as the primary suspect in Brandon Smith's murder. Investigators now believe that Heath went to Smith's home after Maxwell had been there. On the same day the charges against Maxwell were dropped, U.S. Marshals located and arrested Drake Heath in Oklahoma City in connection with Smith's death. The investigation continues as authorities work to bring justice for the untimely death of Brandon Smith.
