Seven people, including a convicted rapist, were found dead at a property in rural Oklahoma, leaving the community of Henryetta in shock. Jesse McFadden, 39, was due to appear in court on Monday for soliciting sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography, the same day his body was found. The other victims included his wife, Holly Guess, 35, her three children, Rylee Elizabeth Allen, 17, Michael James Mayo, 15, and Tiffany Dore Guess, 13, as well as two visiting teens, Ivy Webster, 14, and Brittany Brewer, 16. Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice stated that the latter two teens were believed to be friends with Tiffany Guess and were spending the weekend with the family. It is unclear who was responsible for the deaths, and investigations are ongoing.
Jesse McFadden had been convicted of first-degree rape in 2003 and was released in October 2020. Despite being on the state’s sex offender registry, he hid his criminal past from his family until a few months ago. His mother-in-law, Janette Mayo, said McFadden kept his family “basically under lock and key” and lied to her daughter about his past. She posted on Facebook that her daughter “was fooled by his charm.” Mayo later found out that her daughter and grandchildren had been shot to death.
The bodies were discovered during a search outside Henryetta, where the local school district mourned the loss of several students. The girls’ parents, Justin and Ashleigh Webster, lived about a mile down the road from McFadden and said sleepovers between the girls were regular occurrences. They described McFadden as “weird” and controlling, but there was no indication that he had a criminal background. Brittany’s father, Nathan Brewer, spoke at a vigil, telling the audience that “It’s just a parent’s worst nightmare, and I’m living it.”
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections records show that McFadden was convicted of first-degree rape 20 years ago and released in October 2020. In Oklahoma, first-degree rape is considered an “85%” crime, meaning offenders must serve at least 85% of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole. McFadden had failed to appear in court on Monday for his trial on two sex charges, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Court records show he was communicating with a then-16-year-old girl using a contraband cellphone while he was incarcerated at a state prison near Muskogee.
The small community of nearly 6,000 people was shaken by the tragedy, and families of the victims demanded answers in the case. Webster said, “The sexual (offender) registry doesn’t work. I think there needs to be action taken. There needs to be repercussions, and someone needs to be held accountable. They let a monster out. They did this.”
