On a tragic evening in Gans, Oklahoma, the life of Tara Barnett-Underwood, a 35-year-old White female, was senselessly cut short. On June 18, 2024, Tara was working her shift as an office administrator at LaFerry's Propane, a local business on U.S. 64. Described by her family as vibrant, bouncy, and full of life, the mother of three was a beloved figure known for her bright smile and infectious laughter.
That day, however, the familiar workplace turned into a scene of unimaginable horror when she and a coworker, Taylor Sharp, were killed in a brutal double homicide.
The devastating discovery was made by Tara's fiancé, Robert Bullock. When he was unable to reach her, he went to the propane business. Peering through a window, he saw Tara lying motionless on the floor behind the counter. He broke down the locked door to find both her and her coworker deceased, having been shot. Her vehicle was also missing from the premises. The shocking event sent waves of grief and fear through the small Sequoyah County community and left Tara's family, including her three children, heartbroken.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a suspect, Stacy Lee Drake, a convicted felon from Alabama. Authorities identified Drake as being responsible for the murders, believing he killed the two employees in order to steal a vehicle and continue a multi-state crime spree that included other homicides. Surveillance images captured Drake in Morrilton, Arkansas, shortly after the killings in Oklahoma. A massive two-day manhunt ensued, putting the region on high alert for the man described as armed and dangerous.
The search for Stacy Lee Drake came to an end on June 20, 2024, when he was captured hiding in a wooded area in Morrilton. His arrest brought a profound sense of relief to the grieving families and the wider community. Drake was subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder, encompassing the deaths of Tara Underwood, Taylor Sharp, and another man, Phillip Emerson, who had been killed days earlier. He also faces charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the string of violent crimes that left a trail of devastation across multiple states.
