MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Local News

July 7, 2009

Red Bird man held in slaying

A Red Bird man is to be arraigned at 2 p.m. today in Wagoner County District Court in the shooting death of a Haskell man.

Lamont Stephen Huff, 20, was jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder Monday in the pre-dawn Sunday shooting of Terrance Bledsoe, 36, on South Main Street in downtown Red Bird, said Wagoner County Sheriff Investigator Bob Haley.

Deputies responded to a call of a possible shooting in Red Bird at approximately 4:51 a.m., according to an affidavit from Wagoner County Deputy Erik Horton.

Horton said when he and another deputy turned on to Main Street, he saw a brown Ford Mustang with the door open.

Bledsoe was lying on the ground, and another deputy was unable to find a pulse, Horton said.

The deputies raised up Bledsoe’s shirt and saw gunshot wounds to the right abdomen and right chest, Horton said.

An ambulance was called, and medics pronounced the man dead.

Horton said he found 24 or 25 gun casings from a small-caliber gun and multiple gun casings that appeared to be larger caliber.

Neighbors heard a lot of fireworks but no gunshots, Horton’s affidavit states.

Haley said Huff turned himself in Monday and was interviewed.

“They (Huff and Bledsoe) were kind of in a situation that got out of hand,” Haley said, declining further comment about a possible motive.

No weapon has been recovered, Haley said.

No formal charges had been filed as of late Tuesday afternoon, Haley said.

Huff is being held in the Wagoner County Jail without bond, said Wagoner County Undersheriff Mike Stickelmeyer.

There were two outstanding bench warrants on Huff in Muskogee County, one on May 5 to revoke a suspended sentence on misdemeanors and send him to prison, and one on June 10 for failure to pay the fines and court costs associated with the misdemeanor convictions for assault, larceny and malicious injury to property, according to court records.

Wagoner County also had an outstanding bench warrant for Huff dated June 17 for failure to pay fines and court costs after being convicted of felony possession of a firearm after earlier being adjudicated as a delinquent.

Reach Donna Hales at 684-2923 or dhales @muskogeephoenix.com.

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