The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) has arrested 42-year-old Richard Dewayne Chambers in connection with three homicides that occurred late Tuesday night, December 17th. Two of the victims were found in Pontotoc County and one in Midwest City.

The victims from Allen were identified as Robert Peliti, 85, and Jackie Peliti, 70.

The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office said Chambers was captured around 8:15 a.m. in Non, Oklahoma, southeast of Allen. Murder charges are expected to be filed.

Undersheriff Arnold Scott of the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement officials had issued a statement earlier to be on the lookout for a man who had been knocking on doors in the area and asking residents for gas.

Authorities said Chambers killed a woman in Midwest City then drove through Pottawatomie and Pontotoc counties and was reportedly knocking on doors asking for gas for his vehicle. Scott said Chambers made his way through Ada and then drove east on State Highway 1.

Reports indicate he stopped at a residence near the home of the victims, and asked for gas, but a woman there told him she didn’t have any. Scott said she told Chambers that her neighbors, the eventual victims, might have some. When Chambers was denied entry into the second home he forced his way in, shooting both residents before taking their vehicle.

Local Couple Victims

Scott said the first woman, who was home alone, became worried and called her boyfriend in Ada. The boyfriend went to the victims’ residence, where he encountered Chambers. The man told authorities he tried to block the vehicle, but the suspect fled east on Hwy 1.

Scott said Hughes County sheriff’s deputies encountered Chambers parked on the shoulder of a road south of Gerty in the Non area but he fled on foot into the woods. Deputies caught him a short time later and he was booked into jail.

Midwest City Police Department released a statement about their homicide, saying that the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office contacted them to check the welfare of a resident in Midwest City early Wednesday morning.

Pontotoc County authorities had discovered a vehicle registered to Annie Brown, 62, at a homicide scene in Pontotoc County. Upon entering the residence, police found Brown deceased from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.

Officials say 42-yearold Richard Chambers had been living in the backyard of Brown’s residence.

The incident is currently under active investigation by OSBI.

District Attorney Erik Johnson released the following statement regarding the situation: “This is an active homicide investigation being handled by OSBI. I am aware of the events that occurred in Pontotoc County last night, and it has been reported to me that the suspect is in custody, having been captured by law enforcement in Hughes County. I have no further statement to make at this time.”

Details surrounding the homicides and the suspect’s apprehension remain limited as OSBI continues its investigation. Hughes County law enforcement and state agencies are working in close coordination to ensure a thorough and timely process.