In the quiet town of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, the life of Lucas 'Luke' Carl Sanders, a 42-year-old man, was brutally cut short on August 18, 2021. A member of the Muscogee Nation, Sanders was a lifetime resident of the area and known as a hardworking man who enjoyed re-wiring motorcycles, especially his Harley. The father of three and a grandfather, he was remembered for the treasured time he spent with his family.
The circumstances of his death were violent and shocking to the community.
Sanders was shot six times in the head while he lay in his bed. Following the shooting, the perpetrator, Daren Gilson Puffinbarger, then 32, set fire to Sanders' body and the bed using a propane torch. This horrific act led to an intensive investigation conducted by the FBI, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Mayes County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation revealed that the motive behind the murder was a personal conflict. Puffinbarger was reportedly upset because his girlfriend intended to leave him for Sanders. In September 2021, Daren Gilson Puffinbarger of Inola was indicted by a federal grand jury for first-degree murder in Indian Country. Subsequently, on May 11, 2022, Puffinbarger pleaded guilty in federal court to a lesser charge of second-degree murder in Indian Country for the death of Lucas Sanders.
