Police have arrested Joe Kennedy, a person of interest in the murders of four Okmulgee, Oklahoma men.
Kennedy was arrested in a stolen car in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida on Tuesday. The vehicle was reported stolen in Okmulgee on Oct. 17, authorities say.
Police issued an arrest warrant for Kennedy related to a 2012 shooting at his salvage yard. The warrant was issued to accelerate a sentence and judgment he received in that case, according to reports.
Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said the bond is $500,000. Authorities are in the process of extraditing Kennedy back to Oklahoma.
On Monday, Okmulgee police confirmed the dismembered bodies recovered from Deep Fork River on Friday are the four friends who went missing on Oct. 9.
The bodies were positively identified as Mark Chastain, his brother Billy Chastain, Mike Sparks, and Alex Stevens.
He said the men were shot and dismembered before being placed in the river.
Police believe the four men left Billy Chastain’s house at 8 pm on Sunday, Oct 9. They were riding bicycles pulling bike carts. Their intent may have been to steal catalytic converters off old cars in junkyards for a profit.
Stolen catalytic converters, which cost over $1,000, can be sold to junk dealers for $150-$300 each.
A witness told police the men asked him to go with them to “hit a lick big enough for all of them,” said Chief Prentice.
Officers searched Kennedy’s salvage yard last week but didn’t find anything. However, they did find blood at one of Kennedy’s properties nearby.
Watch the video below.
