In the small town of Okemah, Oklahoma, a family gathering on a summer evening in August 2021 turned into a scene of violence and loss with the death of Timothy Ray Buckley. A resident of Okemah, the 31-year-old man, was shot and killed on Saturday, August 7, 2021. The incident left his family and the local community in shock. He was born on February 14, 1990.
The man responsible for Timothy's death was his own cousin, Elijah Dewayne Hicks, who was 22 years old at the time.
During the fatal encounter, Hicks shot Buckley four times. Following the shooting, Hicks fled the scene, sparking a four-month-long manhunt involving the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
The subsequent legal proceedings unfolded in federal court because the crime occurred within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation Reservation, and the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe. In February 2022, a federal jury found Elijah Dewayne Hicks guilty of Murder in Indian Country and related firearm charges. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Hicks intentionally killed his cousin. Hicks' defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Buckley had a history of violence when intoxicated and had charged at him. Hicks testified that he fled because he didn't believe anyone would believe his self-defense claim. The jury ultimately convicted Hicks on all counts.
