In the quiet community of Allen, Oklahoma, a tragedy unfolded on the night of December 17, 2024, ending the life of 70-year-old White female, Jackie Peliti. The shocking events of that evening were part of a violent crime spree that spanned multiple counties and left three people dead.
The incident began hours earlier in Midwest City when a man, later identified as 42-year-old Richard Dewayne Chambers, allegedly murdered 62-year-old Annie Brown.
Authorities believe that after killing Brown, in whose backyard he had been living, Chambers stole her car and drove towards Pottawatomie and Pontotoc counties. His journey was interrupted when the stolen vehicle ran out of gas.
Chambers then began going door-to-door in a residential area near Ada, asking for fuel. Around 9 p.m., he approached the home of a woman who, unable to help, suggested he try her neighbors, Jackie and Robert Peliti. This recommendation would have devastating consequences. The concerned neighbor alerted her boyfriend, who then went to the Peliti residence and encountered Chambers.
Pontotoc County sheriff's deputies were called to the Peliti's home on County Road 1512 in Allen at approximately 11:30 p.m. They discovered a brutal scene where both Jackie and her 84-year-old husband, Robert, had been shot. Jackie Peliti was pronounced dead at the scene from her gunshot wounds. Her husband was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Following the discovery of the Pelitis, a multi-county manhunt for Chambers ensued. He was spotted by Hughes County sheriff's deputies parked on a highway shoulder but managed to escape on foot into a wooded area. The search culminated in his capture at around 8:15 a.m. on December 19, when he was found hiding in a barn near the community of Non. Richard Dewayne Chambers was arrested and taken to the Pontotoc County jail, where he is being held on suspicion of the three murders.
