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Updated: 6:50 PM Oct 19, 2009
Girl’s murder leaves Bryan Co. community in shock
CARTWRIGHT, OK -- A crime over the weekend leaves a community stunned and a family grieving for a murdered 11-year-old girl. Authorities say one of the worst parts of this crime is that the suspect, 34-year-old Jason Belew, is someone Dakota Hughes may have trusted.
Posted: 6:37 PM Oct 19, 2009Reporter: Josh Stevenson Email Address: josh.stevenson@kxii.com |
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CARTWRIGHT, OK -- A crime over the weekend leaves a community stunned and a family grieving for a murdered 11-year-old girl. Authorities say one of the worst parts of this crime is that the suspect is someone the victim may have trusted.
Students and parents at the Colbert school where Dakota Hughes attended the fifth grade are shaken by her brutal murder
"I can’t believe it happened. It is a horrible story, it is tragic," said one parent.
According to an affidavit of probable cause 11-year-old, Dakota Hughes went with her aunt, Debbie Hughes, to pick up 34-year-old Jason Lee Belew (pictured, right) on Saturday afternoon and took him back to Debbie's home in Cartwright, Oklahoma. There, Debbie and Belew reportedly consumed beer and malt liquor until around 10:30 that night.
According to reports, Debbie felt dizzy and went to bed, leaving Dakota alone with Belew. When Debbie woke up around four Sunday morning she says that Belew was gone and she found Dakota dead, her naked body lying on a bedroom floor.
Belew was arrested Sunday afternoon in Sherman on an outstanding warrant. Police say he had Debbie Hughes' cell phone on his person and had what appeared to be blood stains on his clothing.
Bryan County District Attorney Emily Redman says there is sufficient evidence to charge Belew with first degree murder.
"The only possible punishments for murder in the first degree are life in prison, life in prison without parole, and death," said Redman.
Colbert Public Schools have made counselors available to help students deal with the loss of their classmate, but the crime has stunned the communities of Cartwright and Colbert, and has left parents having to explain how something so shocking could have happened in their rural community.
"I usually sit him down and talk to him and say there are horrible things in this world and bad things do happen, and we just try to keep our kids safe," said Michelle Bartley.
Redman says due to the heinous nature of this crime and the age of the victim, her office will focus on bringing the person responsible for the death of Dakota Hughes to justice.
"When an innocent child is the victim in a case, that case will take priority in my office,” said Redman.
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