On a cold December day in Oklahoma City, just three days before she would have celebrated her 31st birthday, Desirae Parnell's life was tragically cut short. The mother of two young sons, Easton and Austin, was killed on December 7, 2016, in a violent act that stunned her family and community. Desirae, a resident of Moore, Oklahoma, was remembered for her loving and caring personality.
She was a dedicated mother and a manager of two medical clinics in Moore and Norman.
The circumstances of her death paint a harrowing picture of domestic violence. The father of her children, with whom she had been in a relationship for several years, had become increasingly controlling. When Desirae made the decision to leave him, he reportedly threatened her life. On that fateful morning, he stole a gun from his best friend and lay in wait for her in her car.
He lured her out of her workplace by claiming he had their children. Once she was in the car, he forced her to drive to the back of a shopping center. Desirae managed to drive back to the front of a donut shop and attempted to flee, but he shot her before taking his own life. Police later confirmed the incident was a murder-suicide. The loss of Desirae left her family, including her parents Don and Carolyn Parnell, devastated and grappling with the sudden and violent end to her life.
