A Vinita man who tampered with evidence following a murder and provided the killer a place to stay afterward was sentenced Thursday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Dale Eugene Warren, 66, to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
“Dale Warren destroyed and discarded evidence following the horrific murder of Christopher Boren in 2019,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Individuals who help others hide their crimes or fail to report them should be prepared to face charges.”
“Thanks to a determined investigation by the FBI and our law enforcement partners, this deplorable cover-up of a cold-blooded murder will not go unpunished,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “This sentence should serve as a warning that any attempt to tamper with the justice system will not be tolerated.”
Warren pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2021, to accessory after the fact to first degree murder in Indian Country. He admitted that he was with codefendant Johnny Lee Arnold when Arnold struck the victim, Christopher Boren, with a small baseball bat and repeatedly stabbed him with a knife, leading to Boren’s death.
Warren further admitted that he disposed of the murder weapon in a river and provided a hose and water for Arnold to wash away blood and other evidence from Arnold’s clothes and vehicle. Finally, he said that he provided Arnold with a place to stay following the murder.
Warren stated that he did not contact authorities about the murder. Warren claimed that Arnold told him that he (Arnold) was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and that he had people in 48 states who could get to Warren if he spoke about the crime.
The victim’s body was found in rural in Craig County.
On May 10, 2022, Arnold, 34, of Langley, pleaded guilty to second degree murder. The plea agreement stipulated that Arnold should serve between 25 and 35 years for the crime. A federal judge will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and will determine an appropriate sentence at a hearing to be held at a later time.
The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office and Craig County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John E. Brasher and Ben Tonkin are prosecuting the case.