Larry Doil Sanders, now 55, will be sentenced June 18th after being found guilty of first degree murder with malice aforethought in the strangulation and beating death of Jimmy Glenn Knighten in the summer of 2022; Knighten was 52. Sanders has repeatedly confessed to the crime.

The two day nonjury trial was held this past week before the Honorable District Judge Steven Kessinger in the Pontotoc County Courthouse. The incident occurred on Saturday, July 9, 2022, when the two men traveled to the South Canadian River for an afternoon of noodling.

Defense attorney Larry Balcerak of Pauls Valley entered a plea of “mental illness or insanity at the time of offense.” A Tulsa forensic psychiatrist filed that Sanders experience paranoia and hallucinations due to a “methamphetamineinduced psychotic order.” He also diagnosed Sanders as bipolar.

The prosecution expert, an Edmond forensic psychologist, concluded Sanders could not be considered insane under Oklahoma law.

A witness who had seen them at the local convenience store on the fatal day described Sanders as appearing happy. Sanders had said he had gotten a new job working for Knighten.

Sanders sister, reported Sanders had run out of his mental health medications in April or May of that year. She had attempted to get a refill but was told he had to meet with his doctor first.

Sanders has a long criminal record and has been to prison twice for assaults and thefts. He was put on probation for five years for bringing methamphetamine into the Pontotoc County jail in 2019 after a public intoxication arrest. He told a Pontotoc County Deputy that “he usually used a little meth to get him going in the mornings.”

Sanders took the stand in his own defense late in the trial, telling how he suspected Knighten of calling a Big Foot (Sasquatch) to come kill and eat him (Sanders). He stated Knighten stood on an outcrop of rocks, took a deep breath and howled. Sanders said it was then he saw a sasquatch, about 12 feet tall, 45 to 50 yards away. He also said he saw two other creatures, presumably sasquatches, further up the hill beyond the rocks. One was dark red and the other was brown. The creature sighted originally was black.

Sanders also described seeing a man who appeared to be a National Guardsman, dressed in military fatigues, down near the river, approximately 50 to 100 yards away, as well as some people on ATVs.

Sanders stated that he believed all the happenings, the military man, the howling, plus a strange phone call, were very suspicious. He said he tried several times to get Knighten to turn around and head back to the truck. He said at one time he pushed Knighten and told him, “Let’s turn around and go to the truck.” He also stated that he had picked up a willow “switch” and struck Knighten with it once or twice until Knighten told him to stop.

At some point, while headed to the truck he asked Knighten where the truck was because he felt it was talking too long to reach it. Sanders said Knighten turned around and knocked him to the ground. They were wrestling on the ground for quite some time until he put Knighten into a chokehold and held until Knighten turned blue and quit moving.

Sanders then returned to the Knighten home and told family members what had occurred. Authorities were summoned; Knighten body was recovered the following day, July 10th. Sanders has been in custody and incarcerated since returning from the river. He had been residing in Atwood.

Sentencing by Judge Kessinger will send Sanders to prison for life or life without the possibility of parole.