The mother of a teen found dead along with other six people in Oklahoma has said she knew something was wrong when her daughter did not pick up her phone on Sunday.
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 sex abuse images.
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.
Brittany’s grieving mother Malaina Schabell told NewsNation that her daughter, who had just turned 15 last week, and Ivy had gone to McFadden’s home for a sleepover with Tiffany. Ms Schabell said her daughter had been to McFadden’s at least four times since Christmas without incident and that she was not aware of his convictions.
“She told me she’d call me later and I never heard anything from her which wasn’t normal,” Ms Schabell said through tears. “I knew something was wrong ‘cause she wasn’t answering, I tried to call. I got online on her Facebook and I tried calling her, video calling her, and I messaged her and she wouldn’t respond, and it showed she was online and but she wouldn’t respond, so I knew something was wrong.”
She added: “I’ve been trying, you know, sitting here all day trying to think positive thoughts that ‘She’s gonna come home, she’s gonna come home, she’s gonna come home.’ But you know, I didn’t want to believe she’s gone and I still don’t.”
The victim in McFadden’s pending case has since revealed that he reportedly texted her the night before authorities found the seven victims.
“I did exactly what I promised I would do when I got out,” the text, exclusively obtained by FOX 23, read. “I got a marketing job making great money and was being advanced been there 2 years now and made a great life like I promised I would do with you.”
“Now it’s all gone, I told you I wouldn’t go back ... This is all on you for continuing this,” another set of texts stated.
McFadden was convicted of rape in 2003, according to records from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, and was released in 2020. His pending trial stemmed from charges brought against him after he was accused of sexting a minor while in prison in 2017, according to FOX.
Guess’ former mother-in-law Judy White-Allen said her family is still processing the devastating tragedy. Ms White-Allen, who is the grandmother of Rylee and Michael, described Guess as a “great mother,” with a “big heart.”
“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.”
In a Facebook post, Guess’ 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 morning travelling with McFadden in a white Chevrolet pickup. McFadden 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.
