Attorney: murder suspect `delusional'
EDMOND — The 19-yearold man accused of fatally shooting his parents is “acutely paranoid and delusional,” his attorney said. Eli Walker was arrested early March 4 after his parents were killed inside their home in north Edmond. His younger brother, Isaiah Walker, 17, told police Eli said he “shot their parents because they were sending him messages telepathically and they were Satan worshipers,” police reported. Defense attorney Derek Chance said he will ask a judge to find Eli Walker mentally incompetent once prosecutors file a murder charge. “The family reports Eli has suffered from severe mental illness for several years,” Chance said. “I have had an initial assessment done on Eli and it clearly indicates he is acutely paranoid and delusional. This, we believe, explains the horrible tragedy.” If a judge agrees Walker is mentally incompetent, his criminal case will be put on hold while he undergoes treatment at the Oklahoma County jail or at a state facility in Vinita. If he is later found to be mentally able to proceed, an insanity defense is expected. Police on Friday reported finding inside Walker's bedroom four homemade explosive devices, a homemade silencer, knives, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, an AR-15 rifle with a laser scope and more than 500 rounds of ammunition. Police also reported finding in the bedroom a hatchet, ear protection, handwritten notes, a compound bow and evidence of marijuana use. Police reported finding a water jug labeled “Blessed Holy Water” on the coffee table in the living room and a handwritten note containing the Ten Commandments taped on the frame of the door to the utility room. Police reported the four homemade explosive devices were found in a white firstaid kit inside a gun locker in the bedroom closet. Police also reported finding an inert grenade on a desk in another bedroom. Police first went to the home
after Isaiah Walker called 911 at 2:29 a.m. March 4. “There is a bunch of gunfire in my house and I believe it's my brother,” the 17-year-old said in the call. At one point, he can be heard telling Eli Walker, “Mom told me to call them, so I'm calling.” Police reported in a court affidavit Eli Walker came outside and surrendered to officers without incident. In his bedroom, police found the body of his father on the floor and a Glock semi-automatic pistol on the bed. In the entryway, police found the body of his mother. Eli Walker, whose full name is Michael Elijah Walker, admitted shooting his parents, according to a court affidavit. He said they had been arguing because he asked them a question about Satanism. He said he shot his father in the bedroom and his mother as she fled toward the front door. He said he shot his mother again after reloading and getting a pillow to muffle the sound “because he believed she was still alive,” according to the court affidavit. Isaiah Walker told police he woke up that day to the sound of his mother screaming and gunfire, according to the affidavit. When he opened his bedroom door, he saw his mother in a hallway and she yelled for him to call 911. Police were back at the home Friday to conduct a further search that involved bombsniffing dogs. Assisting Friday was the Oklahoma Highway Patrol's bomb squad. Evaluating Eli Walker after his arrest was Shawn Roberson, an Edmond forensic psychologist who is used by both both prosecutors and defense attorneys. He has given opinions in a number of high-profile murder cases, including the 2014 beheading at a Moore food processing plant, the 2015 fatal stabbing of state Labor Commissioner Mark Costello and the 2015 Oklahoma State University homecoming parade crash. A defendant is considered mentally incompetent in Oklahoma if he cannot understand what he is charged with and cannot rationally assist his attorney in his defense. In some instances, defendants never regain mental competency and are never prosecuted. In rare cases, a murder defendant in Oklahoma has been found not guilty by reason of insanity after a judge or jury finds he was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the offense. Police reported Eli Walker stated “he believed he did the right thing.” Funeral services for Michael Logan Walker, 50, and Rachael May Walker, 44, are set for 3 p.m. Tuesday at Life.Church Oklahoma City.