Tulsa DA will not seek death penalty quadruple homicide

The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office announced today that they will not seek the death penalty against two men who are charged with murdering four women in 2013 at Fairmont Terrace Apartments.

Cedric Poore and James Poore were charged with four counts of First Degree Murder on February 21, 2013 after a lengthy Tulsa police investigation.  The bodies of four women were found in a Fairmont Terrace apartment on January 7, 2013.  Each had been shot and the hands of each woman had been bound behind their backs, investigators reported.

“We will not seek the death penalty,” said Tulsa County First Assistant District Attorney Doug Drummond. “The crimes are tragic and it has emotionally impacted each of the families who lost loved ones.  But, at the end of the day, we must objectively consider a wide variety of factors, including the admissible evidence as well as the legal issues involved.  After doing that objective analysis, we are declining to file a bill of particulars, seeking the death penalty.”

Possible punishment for each of the Defendants will now a sentence of life or life without parole on each of the murder counts.  Under the law, both men are presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Drummond said he has talked to the victims’ families regarding the decision.

“There is no question that the family members believe the death penalty is certainly a viable option given what has happened,” Drummond said. “But they understand our reasoning. Ultimately, they want justice for what happened.”