“A young mother’s life was taken, and that is something no family, no friends, and no community should ever have to endure," the Bryan County Sheriff said
Credit: Malary Clayton/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A 13-year-old child has been taken into custody in connection with the death of an Oklahoma woman
- Malary Clayton, 31, of Oklahoma, was identified as the victim, who authorities say died from an apparent gunshot wound
- “In moments like this, we lean on one another, we lean on our faith, and we move forward together,” Bryan County Sheriff Joey W. Tucker said
A 13-year-old Oklahoma boy is being held in a Texas juvenile detention center in connection with the death of a 31-year-old woman.
In a statement to its Facebook page on Monday, March 2, the Bryan County Sheriff's Office identified Malary Clayton as the victim. Due to his status as a minor, the juvenile was not named.
Citing investigators, Oklahoma local news station KXII reported that the child was the primary suspect in the woman's killing, which authorities say happened in Colbert on Friday, Feb. 27.
Credit: Bryan County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
According to the outlet, an unidentified individual arrived at the residence and found Clayton, who appeared to be deceased. The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), and it was determined that she died as a result of a gunshot wound.
Clayton “suffered injuries consistent with homicide,” KOCO reported, adding that investigators arrived at the home at approximately 6:45 p.m. Friday evening.
A missing person’s alert was issued for the 13-year-old by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, with authorities later learning that the child traveled “south of the Oklahoma/Texas border,” local media reported, citing a news release.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol issued a missing person's alert for the 13-year-old. Authorities later learned that the child traveled "south of the Oklahoma/Texas border," according to an OSBI statement.
“It was the next day, early morning hours, around 6:30 of the 28th, when the 13-year-old was found and placed into custody by the sheriff’s office in that area,” OSBI public information manager Hunter McKee said in a statement.
PEOPLE reached out to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, who had no additional comment.
Bryan County Sheriff Joey W. Tucker called Clayton’s death “heartbreaking.”
“A young mother’s life was taken, and that is something no family, no friends, and no community should ever have to endure. On behalf of the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, I want to extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to everyone who loved her. Our prayers are with her family and friends as they walk through unimaginable grief,” he said in a statement shared to the department’s Facebook page.
Tucker called the situation “especially tragic” due to the age of the alleged offender.
“There are no winners in a situation like this. Two lives and two futures are forever changed. As a father, as a member of this community and as your Sheriff, I cannot express strongly enough how heavy this weighs on all of us. We recognize that there is pain on multiple sides of this tragedy, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted,” the sheriff continued.
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He added that with the help of other law enforcement agencies in the area, the suspect was safely located and taken into custody.
“Bryan County is a strong community. In moments like this, we lean on one another, we lean on our faith, and we move forward together,” Tucker said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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