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An Oklahoma man arrested Saturday at the Cherokee Tahlequah Casino has admitted killing three people and burying them on his property in nearby Eldon Hill, The Tahlequah Daily Press reports.
Robert Lewis, pictured in a Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office mugshot. He has admitted to killing three people and burying them on his property, but he won’t say why. (Image: CCSO)The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) made the announcement shortly before his arrest. Robert Lewis called a family member from the casino and talked about turning himself in.
Earlier that day, police had been called to Lewis’s property by the brother of a missing woman, identified Monday as Quinley Lamb, 43, of Sharp County, Ark.
The man had found his sister’s body buried in a shallow grave on the grounds.
Questions over Drug Deal Gone WrongSheriff Jason Chennault said investigators obtained a search warrant and located the suspect at the casino.
“We interviewed him, and he admitted to killing three people and burying them on his property. We held the scene all night and came out this morning, and did find two additional people in shallow graves,” Chennault said. He admitted to killing all three of them and wouldn’t tell us why.”
From all indications of what we’ve learned from the suspect and from Sheriff Counts, this is going to be more than likely some type of narcotics deal,” said Chennault.
On Saturday, police located Lewis’s 2006 Dodge Ram truck, which he had dropped off at a friend’s house. Investigators are now examining the vehicle for evidence.
Autopsy ReportOn Monday, Chennault named the two other victims as Brian Shackelford, 42, of Sharp County, Ark., and DeAnna Tippey, 36, of Cherokee County.
According to the initial autopsy report, Lamb died of a fractured skull, Shackelford was killed by a cut to his throat, and Tippey was strangled. Lamb and Shackleford were most likely killed on Jan 16, Tippey sometime after Jan. 19.
Lamb was reported missing by her family on January 24, and the sheriff’s office had commenced an investigation into her disappearance, according to Sharp County Sheriff Mark Counts.
The Daily Press reports that investigators with the CCSO, the District 27 District Attorney s Office, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are overseeing the investigation.
The Cherokee Tahlequah Casino is owned by the , which has its headquarters in the city. also calls Tahlequah home, and previously ran Class II electronic bingo hall there.
In 2013, it was forced to close the facility following litigation from the larger Cherokee Nation.
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