Fleeing suspect blamed in hospital patient’s death
A burglary suspect now faces a murder complaint after a chaotic escape attempt from a hospital resulted in a patient’s death, authorities say.
Jimmy McCoy III, 25, is accused in the death of Reginald Henry Morrisey, 48. Both are from Oklahoma City. Morrisey, who had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, died April 14 after his medical care was “compromised by a fleeing suspect,” according to the state medical examiner.
McCoy is being held without bail in the Oklahoma County jail. He also is under investigation in the killings of an Oklahoma City woman and her son who were beaten and stabbed before their home was set on fire in December.
In the most recent incident, McCoy was arrested April 9, accused of ransacking his exgirlfriend’s Oklahoma City apartment days earlier. While in custody, McCoy “either had a real seizure or faked a seizure” and was taken to Integris Baptist Medical Center.
After being uncuffed from a hospital bed to use the bathroom, “he ran out of his hospital room while completely naked in an attempt to escape custody,” a police detective reported in a court affidavit.
An officer gave chase as McCoy fled down a hallway and into Morrisey’s room, according to the affidavit. McCoy jumped on the victim’s bed and stood on him while attempting to climb into the ceiling, police reported.
McCoy then tried jumping through a window, shattering the inside glass pane. At that point, McCoy was pepper sprayed and detained.
Five days later, Morrisey began having seizure-like activity and died, according to the autopsy report. The state medical examiner ruled the April 14 death a homicide caused by pulmonary thromboembolism, a blood clot in the lungs.
By compromising the victim’s hospital care, McCoy contributed to the homicide, according to the autopsy report.
McCoy was charged in April with multiple felonies, including firstdegree burglary and attempted escape from custody. He has not yet been charged in the death of Morrisey.
December homicides
McCoy is under investigation in a double homicide from last year, investigators reported in search warrant affidavits.
In the early hours of Dec. 17, Oklahoma City police responded to a house fire in the 1100 block of NW 80. The bodies of Julie Mason, 41, and her son, Keagen Bruce, 8, were found inside their smoldering home.
An autopsy revealed the victims were stabbed and beaten before the house was set ablaze.
Police reported the woman may have been sexually assaulted. While looking for prior sexual assault reports in that area, detectives discovered McCoy was “listed
as a suspect” in the rape of an elderly woman down the street from the homicides, according to an affidavit.
When questioned, McCoy acted extremely nervous and appeared to be withholding information about his whereabouts at the time of the murders, police reported. McCoy’s alibi didn’t match his location based on cellphone data, police reported.
Cellphone data showed McCoy was either in the area of the victims’ residence or near his home at the time of the homicides, according to an affidavit. At the time, McCoy lived a block north of the victims’ home.
McCoy also had small cuts to the palms of his hands that he claimed were from “masonry work.”
He has not been charged in the death of Mason or her son.