Four Oklahoma men who vanished while riding their bikes were 'planning to commit a crime' when they were shot and dismembered: Scrapyard owner is person of interest but disappears and could be 'suicidal'

daily mail ^

[algore]

Four Oklahoma men who were last seen riding their bicycles more than a week ago before being shot dead and dismembered were planning to commit a crime, police have said.

Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said the bodies found late last week in the Deep Fork River are those of Mark, 32, and Billy Chastain, 30, Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29.

The men were believed to have left a house in Okmulgee on bicycles the evening of October 9.

The police chief said the official cause of death was pending but that all four men had gunshot wounds and that their bodies had been dismembered.

It comes as a scrapyard owner who was named as a person of interest in the case has mysteriously vanished.

Joe Kennedy, 67, the owner of several scrapyards, is currently missing

Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice told a news conference: 'This is now a murder investigation.'

Police also interviewed a man Friday who owns a scrapyard in the area, but that man has since been reported missing and may be suicidal, Prentice said. No charges have been filed.

Joe Kennedy, 67, owns several scrap yards in the area. He has not been named a suspect in the case but he has also not been able to be located. The chief asked the public to report any sightings of him.

A blue PT Cruiser that he was driving was found behind a business on Monday afternoon in Morris, Oklahoma, about six miles east of Okmulgee

Prentice said investigators believe the men intended to 'commit some sort of criminal act' that night.

A witness told police that the men invited him to join them and would 'hit a lick big enough for all of them

[csvset]

Prentice said Monday the bicycles have not been located.

Bike thieves taking it to the next level.

[ronniesgal]

why am i picturing grown men on Strawberry Shortcake banana seat bikes? Sounds like winners!

[A_perfect_lady]

So that’s what happened to Ponyboy and the gang once they grew up.

[pghbjugop]

Wouldn’t the dude they invited who told police they were off to commit a crime have all the answers?

[Rappini]

Hussein of Iraq would have loved to have that machine.

[hecticskeptic]

There’s a lot going wrong in that title.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yup..... simultaneously weird and sick.

[Does so]

Or taking the valuable innards out?

[Flying Circus]

When the story first came out I looked at their pictures and had a hard time believing those guys were bicycling for the fun of it and good of their health. Not surprised if they were out there to commit a crime. They looked pretty rough.

[doragsda]

All’s well that ends well.

[Sequoyah101]

Not normal.