Testimony begins about slaying tied to pot sale
The son of a former county sheriff was unaware of the “deathtrap” that a waited him and his best friend when they drove four hours to sell marijuana to a murder defendant, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday.
Elijah E. Wilson of Oklahoma City is charged with first-degree murder in the March 15 shooting death of Jake McClain at the Liberty Station Apartments at 2700 N Lindsay. McClain, 19, of Idabel, is the son of former McCurtain County Sheriff Scott McClain, who served in that role from 2014 to 2016. Oklahoma County prosecutors allege Wilson, 22, and another man, Jonate Jefferson, 23, attempted to rob McClain and longtime friend Seth Tisho of marijuana when McClain was killed. Wilson is facing an additional count of attempted robbery with a firearm.
Under Oklahoma law, a defendant can be charged with first-degree murder if a person's death results from the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Assistant District Attorney Ricky Lutz told jurors Wilson arranged to buy the drug from McClain, planned the robbery and talked Jefferson into participating.
The prosecutor said McClain agreed to meet Wilson “not knowing the death trap that awaited them.”
“Jake died in a robbery gone wrong,” Lutz said in his opening statement.
Jefferson, the alleged shooter, is charged with similar crimes. He is expected to testify for the prosecution. Tisho, 21, testified Tuesday that McClain drove him from Idabel to Oklahoma City to sell four ounces of marijuana. He said McClain had arranged to sell the drug to Wilson, who met the pair outside the apartment complex. Tisho, who is facing a drug distribution charge, testified reaching down to grab the marijuana from the floor board of the car they were seated in when he heard McClain say, “Chill, bro, chill.”He said he looked up and seeing Jefferson pointing an assault rifle at McClain as Wilson stood calmly behind Jefferson.”He says `give me the ( expletive), where's the (expletive),” Tisho said, referring to Jefferson.
The witness said McClain grabbed the barrel and tried to wrestle it away from Jefferson.
“He grabbed the gun, and they start fighting for it ,” Tish os aid .“While they' re doing that, one shot goes off.”
McClain tried to drive off after being shot but crashed into a vehicle, Tisho testified. “He started screaming. He said, `I'm paralyzed.'”
Tisho said he jumped out of the car, moved McClain to the passenger seat and drove to a more centralized parking lot, where he asked for help.
McClain died at the scene.