Investigators screening computers, searching for classmates of girls found slain near Weleetka

By Johnny Johnson

Published: June 11, 2008

WELEETKA — Investigators have been screening computers and talking to friends of two young girls who were found shot to death Sunday along an Okfuskee County road.

Taylor Dawn Paschal-Placker, 13, and Skyla Jade Whitaker, 11, were found shot to death in a ditch along a dirt road near Weleetka, less than a mile from Taylor's home Sunday evening. They had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to the State Medical Examiner's Office.

So far there have been no arrests in the case and the motive remains a mystery.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Agent Ben Rosser said in a news conference this afternoon that agents are trying to find kids who may have talked to the girls frequently or knew their patterns.

"We're talking to young people because the victims were young," Rosser said. "We've got leads and we're talking to their friends, but a lot of people are harder to find than others."

Earlier in the day, investigators said shell casings from two guns were found at the scene, leading investigators to believe that more than one person may have been involved in the killings.

Ballistics testing by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation show the girls were shot with two different caliber weapons, said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for OSBI.

"They suspected that there were two weapons early on in the case, but they wanted to wait for ballistics to confirm that," Brown said this afternoon.

Agents are hoping a $25,000 reward might bring forth information in the killings. Local banks contributed $5,000 towards the reward.

"When two people know about it (a crime), it's more in our favor," Brown said.

Investigators today were screening a computer that Taylor used at the Placker home, which is common in this type of investigations, Brown said.

Officials believe people connected to the slayings may be from the local area or are familiar with the rural county roads in Okfuskee County.

"That's my gut feeling. It's an isolated area. We don't know if this is some kind of random thrill killing or an attempted abduction or a case of mistaken identity," OSBI Agent Ben Rosser said during the afternoon press conference. "It's possible they may have interrupted something at the bridge."

The bridge along County Line Road is a popular place for teens to gather and shoot guns, Rosser said.

Agents looked into a tip this morning that someone reported a pickup full of boys were in the area around the time of the killings.

"We contacted those individuals, and yes, they had a shotgun," Rosser said. "They told us they were down there shooting, just like they would have been on any Sunday. There's nothing to indicate that they are suspects."

The Placker family said Taylor and her friend had walked down the road to the bridge about 5 p.m. Sunday. When they didn't return and couldn't be reached by cell phone, Taylor's grandfather went looking for her and found the bodies. Peter Placker placed a 911 call from Taylor's phone.

Funeral services for the two girls are set for Friday. Services for Taylor are 10 a.m. Friday at Dewar First Baptist Church. Services for Skyla are 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Henryetta.

Shurden Funeral Home in Henryetta will handle funeral services for Taylor and Rogers Funeral Home, also in Henryetta, will handle services for Skyla.

HOW TO HELP:

Donations may be sent to:

Bank of Commerce, P.O. Box 48, Weleetka, OK 74880.

For more information call (405) 786-2216.

REWARD OFFERED

The OSBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the shootings. Agent Ben Rosser said the reward could increase as the OSBI gets calls of people wanting to donate. "America's Most Wanted" plans to do a segment on the slaying. For more information, call the OSBI hot line at (800) 522-8017.