Tishomingo man accused of beating girlfriend to death had history of domestic violence, sheriff says

TISHOMINGO, Oklahoma (KXII) - A Tishomingo man is in jail for first degree murder and several charges of domestic violence after deputies say he beat his girlfriend to death.

The Johnston County Sheriffs Office said it started Saturday evening when a family friend called 911 because 33-year-old Cory Boykin was strangling his girlfriend, 18-year-old Cheyenne Star Basham.

Before law enforcement arrived Boykin ran away, but deputies worked with Basham to fill out a report.

Basham wasn’t ready to press charges, but a deputy and officer still looked for him.

“With her having physical marks of domestic violence, we can go ahead and make the arrest and the state can pick up prosecution on that even though the victim may not want to,” Johnston County Undersheriff Gary Dodd said.

Before law enforcement was able to find him, they were called to another emergency.

Two hours later the abuse started again.

“The mother of the victim was also there,” Dodd said. “And she tried to shield her.”

Eventually Basham’s mother ran down the road to get help.

“We were just driving down the road and seeing her mom waving us down and we stopped,” said neighbor Halie McGehee.

McGehee and her mother called 911 while McGehee’s brother, Cody Teague, tried to get in the house to help.

Then Boykin heard the cops being called.

“He took out the back door and ran off in the woods,” Teague said. “I was standing at the bedroom window that points to the road, and that’s when I’d seen her laying there.”

Officers broke a window to get in the house and began giving first aid to Basham, who was unconscious.

“Sometime later [Boykin] was able to double back and make his way into the house and a deputy and a Tishomingo officer located him hiding in a closet there,” Dodd said.

Boykin tried to fight the law enforcement, but was unsuccessful.

Basham was taken to Tishomingo Mercy, and transferred to OU Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

“The suspect is a habitual repeat offender,” Dodd said. “He has been to prison for this. This is a bad guy, make no mistake.”

Boykin is being held in the Johnston County Jail looking at more charges of domestic violence, and a charge of first degree murder.

Friends of Basham’s remember her as kind, quiet, and artistic.

“I just don’t understand why her life had to be taken so soon,” Teague said.

If you or a family member are experiencing domestic violence, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

“We need family and friends to gather around victims and support them,” Dodd said. “Support them in reporting it to us as well so we can get involved and actually help.”

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