Three men face federal charges related to the alleged homicide of a Tulsa man whose body was discovered in his front yard Oct. 9, 2021, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Stephen John Rose, 56, and Vernon Leon Weaver, 49, were charged by criminal complaint Thursday with murder in the first degree in Indian Country. Rose and Weaver were further charged, along with Christopher James Squirrel, 28, with conspiracy to commit robbery. The men were arrested by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Tuesday evening.
The affidavit filed with the complaint states that on or about Oct. 9, 2021, Rose, Weaver and Squirrel conspired to rob the victim and collect money owed to Rose. During the robbery, Rose and Weaver allegedly stabbed the victim using one or two knives, resulting in the victim’s death.
At approximately 3:15 pm on Oct. 9, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting the discovery of a man lying in the front yard of a home located at 1525 E. 56th St. North in Tulsa. Upon arrival, deputies observed the victim’s body and visible signs of injury to the victim’s head and what appeared to be stab wounds to the victim’s face, hands, arms, neck, upper back, back of the neck, upper chest, and top and back of his head. Law enforcement learned that at least one neighbor also observed discarded money near the victim’s body.
This matter will proceed in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal grand jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cymetra M. Williams is prosecuting the case.
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