Okla. Mom And Her 4 Young Kids Found Slain

Police Arrest Victim's Boyfriend After Finding Woman And Her Children In Their Apartment

(AP)  A woman and her four young children were killed in their central Oklahoma apartment, and authorities were looking to arrest the mother's 25-year-old boyfriend Tuesday.

An officer went to the apartment to check on the welfare of the occupants and found the five bodies shortly after 4 p.m. Monday, said Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The children ranged in age from 3 to 7.

Brown said at an afternoon news conference that the five were not shot and that a weapon was "not necessarily used." She said more details wouldn't be released until Wednesday or later.

Cherokee Ballard, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner, would confirm only that the deaths were homicides.

Joshua Steven Durcho of El Reno, the slain woman's boyfriend, was arrested as a suspect late Tuesday. Further details of the arrest were not immediately available.

Brown said no motive is known for the killings but added, "I know they had their ups and downs in their relationship."

Prison records show Durcho was convicted of car theft as a juvenile and was sentenced to four years in prison in 2003 for unlawful possession of marijuana. He was released in February 2007, records show.

"He has been in and out of jail most of his adult life," Brown said.

The victims were identified as Summer Garas, 25, her daughters Kirsten Rust, 7; Autumn Rust, 6; and Evynn Garas, 3; and a son, Teagin Rust, 4.

Summer Garas was a student at nearby Redlands Community College, where she was studying to be a legal assistant, school officials confirmed.

"I'm just numb, just not knowing what to think," said Crystal Franklin, the children's grandmother and Garas' former mother-in-law. "The kids were just wonderful."

Court records show that Summer Garas and her ex-husband Jason Garas were divorced on Dec. 10.

Franklin said Summer Garas rarely locked her door and helped neighbors when they were in need.

"Summer never met an enemy," she said. "She didn't have an enemy, just loved everybody."

The slayings took place in a tidy apartment complex, with two-story buildings, surrounded by a white picket fence in El Reno, a suburb about 25 miles west of Oklahoma City.

"That was wrong, there is nothing that can justify killing a mother and four kids," said James Franklin, Crystal Franklin's husband. "Just turn yourself in.

"I have to deal with this the rest of my life. I can't see my grandkids," he said. "I loved all of them and they loved me."

Brandy Higgins, whose mother lives in the same apartment building where the five were killed, said her mother heard a loud noise before police arrived.

"All I know, my mom heard a loud boom, and I get a phone call," Higgins said. Other neighbors also said they heard a loud noise, Franklin said.

On the front porch of the apartment where the killings took place there were several children's bicycles and toys, including a rideable plastic dump truck.

Crystal Franklin said Teagin was fond of monster trucks and had planned to go with his grandparents to a truck show in Oklahoma City.

"They were just full of life, a joy to be around," she said.

Higgins' children were friends with Garas' children, and Higgins' mother had been close with the family. Higgins said she hopes whoever did the crime suffers for his actions.

"I hope it eats him alive," she said. "Them babies won't experience life."

[jmagarotz]

Now that the method of the murders was strangulation I notice the BDS Gun Haters have gone to another site to rant. BTW the scumbag perp in this crime had a record of drug abuse and theft not to mention other crimes most of his life. Had the system treated him as a "habitual" and kept him locked up maybe the young family would be alive today. The problem is the bleeding hearts want to give these criminals another chance and another and another until they kill. Then it''s the legalize drugs and ban guns mantra all over again. You never learn do you. Until YOU are the victim, then it''s "off with his head"! Yup I''d trade any five of your lives for that family right now.

[remrafbn]

ktgilb1 said "That is by far the dumbest example for gun control i have ever heard."

That was NOT an example of gun control. A poster said a gun could only be fired by a person pulling the trigger and I proved that claim wrong.

Then he said "First off you don''''t store a gun in the stove, espesecally one that is being used to bake with."

I know. That kind of thing could only occur to a gun owner!~ "LOL"

Then he said "The gun fired because the GUN POWDER!!!!!! WAS HEATED!!!!!. when used PROPERLY!!! a gun cannot fire itself."

Your last statement is wrong too. You could be using a gun properly and slip on a wet floor causing the gun to drop, hit the floor, and fire!~

[blogthis1]

What is wrong with these woman? Why do they always date the "bad boys" and then we''re surprised when something happens. Just looking at him you can tell he''s a azz. She has to take part of the blame for this. Make better choices in who you date!!!!

[ktgilb1]

minimoossee said "A gun just doesn''''''''t go off by iself - there is a mechanism called the "trigger" that does not work by itself. It has to be pulled/depressed before anything will happen"

That is not correct. A gun could be fired without the trigger being pulled. A man stored two guns in an oven and when his wife was baking a pie one of the guns fired killing her. Did the stove pull the trigger? A gun could also be fired if dropped.

Posted by remrafbn at 06:58 PM : Jan 13, 2009



That is by far the dumbest example for gun control i have ever heard. First off you don''t store a gun in the stove, espesecally one that is being used to bake with. The gun fired because the GUN POWDER!!!!!! WAS HEATED!!!!!. when used PROPERLY!!! a gun cannot fire itself.

[tpeks40]

Kill the bast*rd. Here''s a photo of the poster boy for Planned Parenthood.

[eggy1620]

It is time for family courts to start taking away child custody rights of women who date ex-cons who have no blood relation to the children.

[knightone82]

My deepest sorrow, goes to the families, for their loss of your loved ones....

Only an animal, could do such a horific act. This, and others like him, should be turned over to the people, so "Real" justice can "Be served"
We all know, if this animal gets life under this, "Blind, Deaf and Dumb judisical system we have now, you and I, the tax payers will pay to keep this animal living for the rest of his life. He will pay so he and his kind can have 3 meals a day and a cot to sleep on, showers to keep clean and other comforts. Yet, "Law Biding" American citizens, have to sleep under bridges, in the streets and alley ways, while America pays to keep the criminals fat and sassy in "Soft, Drug House Prisons and Jails"

[perk235]

Al Qaeda and the Jihadists already have 500,000 men who are clones of this SOB working for them right now. The kind of sick monsters who can shoot kids and slit throats and not even blink.
Posted by AlanW1077 at 11:52 PM : Jan 13, 2009
-----------------

Women who are murdered are overwhelmingly murdered by men in their personal lives (husbands and boyfriends).

[aztecdakota]

There are alot of people walking around on this planet that should not be here, maybe in cages. They need to be separated from normal human beings. January, Peace on Earth.

[rsmik]

Four years for possession??

[alanw1077]

http://newsok.com/suspect-in-el-reno-slayings-arrested/article/3337753?custom_click=lead_story_photo

for all the details and photos

Also:
http://newsok.com/multimedia/gallery/500373?KeepThis=true&custom_click=multimedia_gallery&TB_iframe=true&height=610&width=820

[alanw1077]

Al Qaeda and the Jihadists already have 500,000 men who are clones of this SOB working for them right now. The kind of sick monsters who can shoot kids and slit throats and not even blink.

[debinok1]

It was just broadcast on the nights news, he has been arrested.

[truthislife1]

If this guy did this, the death penalty would not be wrong. Instead though, we''ll feed and house him and pay his bills, give him a "positive prison experience".

[balrog90]

It is an unfortunate sign of the times today. Guns are dangerous but a gun by itself does not kill anyone. It is the criminals who abuse our constitutional right. That said if the suspect is found to have committed this heinous act he should fry. As for the prison system, I agree that it is broken. When non-violent criminals are tossed in with murderers, rapists, armed robbers and the like the results cannot be expected to be different from what we have now. Most of those who are not violent when they go in will be by the time they get out. We should have a crime classification system. Non-violent criminals go to prison with other non-violent and vise versa.

[dcbinwa]

Betcha this guy has some sort of rosary/cross tatoo/ or some other type of hypocrite religous symbol on him when he''s caught. We will all here how he was an Alter Boy in Puerto Rico/Mexico or where ever he''s from!

[runningralph]

When the boomers were 25 years old we thought "Could it get worse?" Then came the boomer spawn. But hold tight, taxpayers. The cops will get this freak. Until they do, hold your guns tight.

[stinginrich]

That Asteroid Strike or Super Volcano Eruption is long overdue.....way too much chlorine in the Gene Pool......time to Flush and start over....

[hambonehd]

Posted by renrivers at 04:49 PM : Jan 13, 2009

Very well said, thanks.

[slim1h2o]

Your point is taken and I agree, however, my view of a utopian society does not include guns.

Posted by usclimey at 04:39 PM : Jan 13, 2009

Well, I was just saying,,,

If we could fix the human condition, we would have alot less of this shat going on.

And till we focus on that, this shat will continue.
Don''t you agree?

I don''t know how to fix it, but getting rid of greed, envy, and jealousy would go along way to stopping some of this shat.

Again,,,I won''t hold my breath on that either...