In 'atomic wedgie' case, Oklahoma man pleads guilty to manslaughter

SHAWNEE — In the bizarre case of a death caused by an “atomic wedgie,” a McLoud man pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree manslaughter.

Brad Lee Davis, 34, admitted he killed his stepfather on Dec. 21, 2013, “in the heat of passion while defending myself in a fight that got out of hand and went too far.”

The victim, Denver Lee St. Clair, 58, died when the elastic band of his torn, blue underwear was pulled over his head and ended up tightly against the front of his neck, cutting off his air, the doctor who did the autopsy reported.

St. Clair also had been beaten around the head, the doctor reported.

Atomic wedgie is the slang name for the most extreme version of the common underwear-yanking prank bullies pull in high schools across America. There are both how-to and how-to-survive videos online related to atomic wedgies that have been watched thousands of times.

Davis, then a casino worker, called 911 at 10:11 p.m. Dec. 21, 2013, after fighting with his stepfather at his stepfather’s trailer. He lived in another trailer of his stepfather’s nearby. His mother was in the hospital at the time.

Testimony changes

In an interview the next day, he told one investigator he gave his stepfather an atomic wedgie after he knocked his stepfather out and the fight was over, according to testimony at the preliminary hearing.

However, in an interview 10 days later, he told another investigator he gave his stepfather the wedgie while they were fighting and then he knocked his stepfather out.

He told investigators the two fought because St. Clair was calling him and his mother worthless. St. Clair had filed for divorce in September.

Davis had texted a friend that night he was fixing to mess Denver up and later texted he had nothing to lose, according to court records.

Davis was charged in January 2014 with first-degree murder. His jury trial had been set to begin Monday. His defense attorneys had planned to ask jurors to find he had acted in self-defense and acquit him.

Compromise reached

In a compromise, prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to first-degree manslaughter and he agreed to plead guilty. There is no agreement on punishment so Pottawatomie County District Judge John G. Canavan Jr. will decide how long he will serve in prison.

The punishment for first-degree manslaughter is at least four years in prison. Prosecutors will ask for 35 years in prison.

The sentencing is set for July although a mitigation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Investigators found Davis had taken pictures with his phone of his stepfather on the floor both before and after giving him the atomic wedgie, records show.

Davis’ attorney, Bob Wyatt, said, “There was never any intent to kill him that way. I don’t think it was even foreseeable to him. ...He said it ...when he was interviewed that night, he said, ‘Man, I did a horrible thing when I gave him that wedgie.’ ...He didn’t even really know the guy died.”

The attorney also said, “He was just tired of taking it. He had been bullied all his life by this guy.”