A man who went missing near Lake Tenkiller last year is thought to have been killed and dumped in or or near the lake, and the regions district attorney is seeking the public’s help in finding his body.
Matthew Fagan of Webbers Falls was last seen near the Cato Creek/Buzzard’s Roost trail area near Lake Tenkiller on June 21, 2016.
Three men were arrested and charged with Fagan’s murder earlier in the year had their charges dismissed in July for lack of evidence according to court records. But law enforcement officials, especially those in the Sequoyah Couny Sheriff Department, continue to place a high priority on finding the murderer or murderers.
Fagan is thought to have been killed, and his body dumped into or near the lake, said Jack Thorp, recently appointed district attorney for Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties.
Investigators are looking for people in a PT Cruiser and a red extended cab pickup seen in the area the night Fagan disappeared, Thorp said.
Boaters who also saw a large blue object slightly underwater near Cato Cove the following weekend are also asked to come forth.
From the outset, law enforcement has contended Fagan was killed during a June 21 hiking trip in 2016. Fagan was hiking with Charles Shamblin, Michael Snelling, and Tyler Leverett, all of Webbers Falls, on that day.
After separate but conflicting confessions from all three men, Shamblin and Snelling were charged with first-degree murder and Leverett was charged with second-degree murder. Despite their confessions, all three men pleaded no guilty to the murder in court proceedings and were later released when the judge decided there was not enough evidence to prosecute the trio.
Two other suspects, Mathhew Milo Terrell and Shalynn Terrell, were also later arrested in connection with the case.
“This matter is a high priority for Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane and the District Attorney’s Office. Please aid us in bringing justice to the perpetrators who caused Mr. Fagan’s disappearance,” Thorp wrote in a press release.
Anyone with information is asked to call the dedicated tip line for the case at (918) 576-4853.
