In the small town of Henryetta, Oklahoma, a dark story unfolded in October 2022, culminating in the tragic death of 32-year-old Mike Sparks and three of his friends. On the evening of October 9th, Sparks, along with brothers Mark and Billy Chastain, aged 32 and 30 respectively, and 29-year-old Alex Stevens, left a residence in Okmulgee on bicycles.
When the four men did not return, they were reported missing, sparking a concerned search by family and law enforcement.
The grim conclusion to their disappearance came on October 14, when a passerby discovered human remains in the Deep Fork River near a bridge. Authorities were called to the scene and began the arduous task of recovering the bodies. The remains were later identified as those of the four missing friends. The investigation took a horrific turn when it was revealed that all four men had been shot and their bodies dismembered before being discarded in the river.
The focus of the investigation soon turned to Joseph Kennedy, the 67-year-old owner of a local scrapyard. Investigators discovered evidence of a violent event on a property adjacent to his scrapyard. Though initially cooperative, Kennedy soon disappeared. A person of interest in the quadruple homicide, Kennedy was arrested on October 17th in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, while driving a stolen vehicle. He was subsequently extradited back to Oklahoma to face questioning.
As the investigation progressed, a chilling narrative began to emerge. Prosecutors alleged that Kennedy had confessed to a witness, stating that he had killed and dismembered the four men because he believed they were stealing from him. According to the witness, Kennedy said 'they were all against him, and he just lost it and he just started shooting.' This confession, coupled with physical evidence including blood found near the scrapyard, personal items of the victims, and cellphone data placing the victims at Kennedy's scrapyard, led to formal charges. The Okmulgee County District Attorney charged Joseph Kennedy with four counts of first-degree murder. Authorities have stated that they believe Kennedy acted alone in the brutal slayings.
