The grieving grandmother of two teens who were among seven people found dead in an Oklahoma property has shared her heartbreak with The Independent.
The Oklahoma State of Bureau Investigations (OSBI) announced on Monday that seven bodies were found on the Henryetta property of 39-year-old convicted rapist Jesse McFadden. The gruesome discovery was made after two teens went missing in the area on Sunday, and McFadden failed to show up in court on Monday morning to stand trial on charges of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography.
OSBI spokesperson Gerald Davidson said during a press conference that although the victims have not been officially identified by the medical examiner, three of them were believed to be the missing teens, 14-year-old Ivy Webster and 15-year-old Brittany Brewer, and McFadden. On Tuesday, the other four victims were identified by relatives as McFadden’s wife Holly Guess, 35, and her children Rylee Elizabeth Allen, 17, Michael James Mayo, 15, and Tiffany Dore Guess, 13.
Judy White-Allen, the grandmother of Rylee and Michael and former mother-in-law of Guess, said her family is still processing the devastating tragedy.
“My kids are hurting. My son lost his daughter and son,” Ms White-Allen told The Independent. “My other kids lost their niece and nephew. My grandkids lost their cousins. Rylee and Michael have [four] other siblings that will never know them.”
The grandmother also described her former daughter-in-law Guess as a “great mother” with a “big heart”.
In a Facebook post, Guess’s mother Janette Mayo said that her daughter was married to McFadden. Authorities have not confirmed a cause of death for the seven victims, but Ms Mayo said they were shot at various locations across McFadden’s property.
“My daughter loved her children and yes she married the man who killed them but she was fooled by his charm,” Ms Mayo wrote. “ I hurt just like the other families but he took my world from me. My grandchildren and my daughter. I have a hole in my heart ...”
Ms Mayo described Ivy as a “sweet girl,” and noted she didn’t have the chance to meet Britanny.
“I really didn’t know Brittany but she must have been a sweet girl for my Tiffany to care for her.” the grieving grandmother wrote. “My prayers are there for both of the other families. I just ask that people remember my family as well, and that they had names too.”
Guess’s sister Heather Pettigrew has started a GoFundMe account to cover funeral expenses.
“This is a huge tragedy not just for my family but all of our friends and the community,” Ms Pettigrew wrote in the description of the fundraiser. “So much was lost so quickly and any help is greatly appreciated.”
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Gerald Davidson said his agency will not officially release the identity of the victims until results from the medical examiner’s office are back.
An Amber Alert was issued early on Monday after Ivy and Brittany failed to return to their homes on Sunday, as they had planned. The advisory was cancelled on Monday afternoon by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The two teens were last seen at around 1.30am on Monday travelling with McFadden in a white Chevrolet pickup. McFadden, who was convicted of first-degree rape in 2003 and released in October 2020, was on the state’s sex offender registry
In an interview with told KOTV, Brittany’s father Nathan Brewer said she had visited McFadden’s home several times before, and that he was not aware he had been convicted of rape in the past.
“Brittany was an outgoing person. She was actually selected to be Miss Henryetta ... coming up in July for this Miss National Miss pageant in Tulsa. And now she ain’t gonna make it because she’s dead. She’s gone,” Mr Brewer said.
At a Monday night vigil, Mr Brewer told hundreds of people that the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death “are just a parent’s worst nightmare, and I’m living it.” He said Brittany had aspired to be a teacher or a veterinarian.
Henryetta Public Schools also posted on Facebook and its website that it is grieving over the loss of several of its students.
At this time we are all grieving over the tragedy of the loss of several of our students,” the statement said. “Our hearts are hurting, and we have considered what would be best for our students in the coming days.”
