Larry Doil Sanders’ motion for a speedy trial was denied Tuesday, August 22nd, in Pontotoc County District Court.

Sanders, 54, of Atwood is accused of killing Jimmy Glenn Knighten, 52, of Allen in July 2022. He is charged with firstdegree murder — deliberate intent.

Larry Balcerak of Pauls Valley, attorney for Doil Sanders, filed paperwork to the court in December that indicates Sanders intends to have a defense of “mental illness or insanity at the time” of the murder.

Earlier this month, the defense filed a motion for a speedy trial, indicating Sanders believes the state violated his right to such. The paperwork indicates that Sanders believes the state had a “lack of diligence” and “an utter disregard for due process of law and the liberty of interest of citizens.”

Assistant District Attorney Tara Portillo, for the State of Oklahoma, indicated they have requested only one continuance in the case so that the state could “secure an expert witness due to the defense’s not guilty by reason of insanity plea that the defendant is asserting.”

Portillo said that Sanders’ claim that he never consented to any continuance in this case is patently false, and that “delays in the case have been due to the defendant’s filings and/or motions.”

District Judge Steven Kessinger noted paperwork indicates that Sanders’ competency has been an issue throughout the case. Sanders had filed the pleadings necessary to determine his competency. The defense retained Dr. Reagan Gill to conduct an examination of Sanders, then prepare a psychological report.

It was Kessinger decision that the state of Oklahoma should be granted sufficient time to obtain its own psychological expert in the case. “The court finds that the state of Oklahoma is pursuing such a witness within a reasonable time,” Kessinger said, then noted that the state is proceeding in the matter with due diligence, and then denied Sanders’ motion.

The case is due to the death of Allen resident Jimmy Knighten on the evening of July 9, 2022.

Sanders and Knighten had gone to the South Canadian River in northwest Pontotoc County that afternoon to noodle for fish. Sanders showed up at the relative’s residence Saturday night saying he stating he had killed Knighten.

According to a report by Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Niblett, the relative said that Sanders claimed that Knighten was “trying to feed him to Bigfoot,” so Sanders had to kill him.

“She said that (Sanders) said that him and (Knighten) had been fighting on the ground for roughly an hour and then mentioned something about strangling him, and also said something about possibly firing two shots from a pistol,” Niblett said. “She said that he kept going on about Bigfoot territory.”

A relative of Knighten was also at the residence and kept Sanders there until deputies arrived.

Niblett then spoke with Sanders.

“(Sanders) appeared to be under the influence of an illegal drug, and when asked what was going on, (he) was unable to give an accurate story and was all over the place,” Niblett said. “I asked if he had gone to the river with (Knighten) and he did state he did ... I asked what happened and he again (Sanders) was jerking around and couldn’t stand still and would go off about other topics.

“He did state during the middle of his tangent that someone was dead and that he had killed someone. At this point I stopped asking him questions.”

Niblett spoke with others at the scene, and, after learning that Sanders had an outstanding warrant, placed him into custody.

A search for Knighten began along the river but was stopped during the night and resumed at daybreak July 10th.

While in custody, Sanders reportedly later confessed that he had hid Knighten’s body along a roadside and provided a map, but deputies located Knighten’s body July 10th, before the information could be relayed to them.

Sheriff John Christian requested the assistance of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in the case.