In the summer of 2016, a night of violence cut short the life of Johnathan Stephens, a 27-year-old father in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On June 25th, Stephens was tragically killed near his own front door during an attempted carjacking. This was not an isolated incident but rather the deadly culmination of a crime spree that had already instilled fear in the community.
The individuals behind this string of violent acts were two teenagers, Emmitt Sam and his alleged accomplice, Nathan Simmons.
Before their fatal encounter with Stephens, the pair had been involved in another carjacking in Broken Arrow and a robbery of a couple in east Tulsa. Armed and emboldened, their path of destruction led them to Stephens. During the attempt to steal his vehicle, Stephens was shot and killed.
In the aftermath of the murder, law enforcement launched an intensive investigation that quickly led them to the two teenage suspects. Both Emmitt Sam and Nathan Simmons were arrested in connection with the deadly carjacking spree. The subsequent legal proceedings brought some measure of justice for Johnathan Stephens' grieving family. A jury convicted Sam of first-degree murder, along with other charges related to the robberies.
The court case took a significant turn when Sam's murder conviction and life sentence were overturned due to a Supreme Court ruling regarding his tribal status. This decision meant the state did not have jurisdiction to prosecute him for the crime. However, the pursuit of justice continued in federal court, where Emmitt Sam ultimately pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in death. His alleged accomplice, Nathan Simmons, was also set to face trial for his role in the events of that tragic night.
