Okla. man charged with allegedly shooting and dismembering 4 men whose remains were found in a river

OKMULGEE, Okla. (TCD) -- A 67-year-old man faces several charges almost two months after the remains of four missing men were found dismembered in a river.

Okmulgee County Court records show Joseph Kennedy was charged Dec. 5 with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Billy Chastain, Mark Chastain, Mikel Sparks, and Akexray Stevens. The charging document alleges Kennedy shot and killed the men on or around Oct. 9.

Okmulgee County District Attorney Carol Iski spoke at a press conference and said the four men had all been "transected at the waist."

Both of Sparks' arms were also reportedly removed.

Iski said Kennedy told his girlfriend he killed Billy and Mark Chastain, Sparks, and Stevens because they were "all against him" and he "lost it." He allegedly said he "just started shooting" and "cut them up" after the men died.

Kennedy was reportedly upset that items were getting stolen from the scrapyard he owned, so he conducted his own surveillance and allegedly saw the men on his property.

According to Iski, investigators found blood on the ground at Kennedy’s property, as well as a broken set of dentures and other personal items that belonged to the victims.

The Chastains, Stevens, and Sparks were reported missing Oct. 11 to the Okmulgee Police Department. The four men, who were all "close friends," reportedly left Billy Chastain’s home Sunday, Oct. 9, but never returned. Their bodies were found in a river Oct. 14.

Kennedy was arrested in Florida on Oct. 17 and transferred back to Oklahoma.

MORE:

• State of Oklahoma v. Joseph Kennedy III
• 'Multiple' human remains found in river identified as 4 missing Oklahoma men, 10/17/2022 - TCD
• Okmulgee County DA speaks out after charging Joe Kennedy with 4 counts of first-degree murder - KOKI-TV
• Okmulgee County DA speaks for first time after filing four first-degree murder charges against Joe Kennedy - KOKI
• Missing from Okmulgee, 10/11/2022 - Okmulgee Police Department