4 Men Rode Off Into The Night — Days Later, They Were Found Dismembered In Oklahoma River

OKMULGEE, OK — The case of four men who went missing over a week ago in rural Oklahoma became a death investigation Monday, when police confirmed their bodies were found dismembered in a nearby river.

On the night of Oct. 9, four close friends from the small city of Okmulgee — Mark Chastain, 32, Billy Chastain, 30, Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29 — left a home on the west side riding bicycles, according to police. Loved ones reported them missing overnight, police said.

As the days passed and authorities searched for the men, the tips came in, according to police. Mark and Billy Chastain were spotted near the local YMCA on Monday morning, one tipster said. All four were seen walking down a street at 2 a.m. Tuesday, said another. A tipster reported a sighting as far as Monroe, Louisiana. None were confirmed, according to police.

Then, Friday, came a break in the case — a report of suspicious items in the Deep Fork River near the Sharp Road bridge that turned out to be body parts protruding from the water, Chief Joe Prentice said at a news conference streamed by News On 6.

“All of the information that we had up to this point indicated that our missing men, based on telephone data, had gone east, leaving town and then ultimately south on (Route) 75,” Prentice said Friday at the news conference. “This is in the opposite direction.”

On Monday, Prentice confirmed the remains in the river were indeed the missing men at a news conference streamed on Facebook by KJRH. Each victim was shot, dismembered and dumped in the water, likely more than a week earlier, he said.

Police believe the men planned to commit a crime when they biked off into the night, Prentice said. There was evidence of a violent event on a property adjoining local salvage yards, according to Prentice, who said police are seeking Joe Kennedy, the owner of the salvage yards, as a person of interest.

Kennedy was reported missing Saturday night and may be suicidal, Prentice said. Police spoke to Kennedy on Friday, according to Prentice, who said Kennedy was cooperative and denied knowing the missing men. After Monday's news conference, police reported that Kennedy's blue PT Cruiser had been discovered behind a business in nearby Morris.

Authorities recovered the final remains of the men Monday, Prentice said, but still have not found the bicycles, are awaiting cellphone records and have requested surveillance footage from local businesses.

“We still have a lot of leads to follow,” he said.

On Friday, a reporter asked Prentice if he had a message for the perpetrator.

“I’ll tell ’em when I see ’em,” Prentice said.

Anyone with information about the deaths or Kennedy’s whereabouts is asked to call police at 918-756-3511 or email tips@okmcity.net.