A set of missing persons reports has turned into a murder investigation after dismembered bodies found in an Oklahoma river were identified as four men who vanished last week, police said.
The men — Mark Chastain, 32; Billy Chastain, 30; Mike Sparks, 32; and Alex Stevens, 29 — were reported missing by relatives last Monday night or early Tuesday after leaving Billy Chastain’s Okmulgee, Oklahoma, home on bicycles around 9 p.m. on Oct. 9, police have said.
The men appear to have been planning to commit a crime when they set out, Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said Monday, citing a preliminary investigation. All had been shot, he said.
Meantime, a person police want to talk with related to the case has been missing as of Saturday night and could be suicidal, the chief said. The person is not a suspect, and no charges have been filed, he said.
“I’ve worked over 80 murders in my career. I have worked murders involving multiple victims. I have worked dismemberments, but this case involves the highest number of victims, and it’s a very violent event,” Prentice said.
