Couple accused of strangling man, dragging him with dog leash, and hanging him from tree branch
09/01/2022 3:26 pm PDT
OKLAHOMA CITY (TCD) -- An 18-year-old woman and her 20-year-old boyfriend are accused of killing a man at a homeless camp by strangling him with a leash and hanging him from a tree.
According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 8:15 a.m., officers responded to a call at a homeless camp near North Western Avenue and John Kilpatrick Service Road and found a person "dead from injuries consistent with homicide."
Investigators identified Sierra McCoy-Griffen and James Guillory as suspects and arrested them on suspicion of murder.
Oklahoma City Police Department Sgt. Dillon Quirk told KFOR-TV there was "some type of romantic relationship between the victim and one of the suspects and then the two suspects currently."
Quirk said an argument allegedly began over "some property or a dog that led to the death of one person."
Guillory’s father, however, told KOKH-TV Guillory allegedly killed the victim in self-defense because he tried to rape McCoy-Griffen.
According to court documents cited by KOTV-TV, McCoy-Griffen and Guillory went to the homeless camp and confronted the victim, who they identified as 51-year-old Jeff Skrivanek. Guillory allegedly strangled Skrivanek but then saw he was still alive, so he allegedly dragged Skrivanek using the leash and hanged him on a branch. Guillory allegedly strangled Skrivanek a total of three times.
The court documents reportedly say Guillory "tied the leash in a manner which held the victim’s neck off the ground to ensure Skrivanek’s death.”
Quirk told KOTV Skrivanek died from blunt force trauma.
Oklahoma City Police reportedly found McCoy-Griffen at a hotel and during a search of the room discovered notes detailing their plans for Skrivanek’s killing.
McCoy-Griffen and Guillory were booked into the Oklahoma County Jail and denied bond.
MORE:
TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more, and don’t forget to follow us on TikTok.
