On June 29, 2017, 22-year-old Kailee Jo McMullen, a White female, was found deceased in her Norman, Oklahoma home from a single gunshot wound to the face. Her father, Ronald McMullen, initially reported her death as a suicide in a 911 call. However, responding officers found his behavior at the scene to be suspicious. He allegedly attempted to wipe blood off of himself and, at one point, threw himself on the ground, covering himself in dirt.
The investigation that followed painted a much
darker picture of the circumstances leading to Kailee's death. Authorities soon considered her death suspicious, and evidence at the scene did not align with a self-inflicted wound. It was alleged that the gun and Kailee's body had been moved. Before calling 911, Ronald McMullen had first contacted Kailee's mother, who arrived to find her daughter already deceased and attempted CPR.
Further investigation brought to light a troubled history within the family. Friends of Kailee came forward with allegations that she had confided in them about years of physical and sexual abuse by her father. These claims, along with the physical evidence, led to the arrest of Ronald McMullen on a charge of first-degree murder.
During the trial, the prosecution argued that Ronald McMullen had shot his daughter and then staged the scene to look like a suicide in an attempt to cover up the murder. The defense maintained his innocence, but the jury was ultimately convinced by the evidence and testimony presented. On October 3, 2019, Ronald McMullen was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his daughter, Kailee Jo McMullen. The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
