Oklahoma brothers plead not guilty to killing five family members

By Heide Brandes

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Two Oklahoma brothers accused of murdering their parents and three siblings pleaded not guilty on Monday in a Tulsa County court, an official said.

Robert Bever, 18, and Michael Bever, 16, were charged as adults, each with five counts of first-degree murder and assault and battery with intent to kill, the court official said.

They were not in the courthouse and appeared by video link. Neither the brothers nor the public defenders representing them commented after the arraignment, the Tulsa World reported.

The brothers are suspected of killing their parents, David and April Bever, two brothers and a sister with various weapons, including a hatchet, on July 22 in their Broken Arrow home, about 15 miles southeast of Tulsa, police said.

A 13-year-old sister survived the attack and a 2-year-old child was found unharmed, police said.

A preliminary hearing for the brothers is set for Oct. 28.

A 911 call led Broken Arrow officers to a suburban home where they discovered the blood-splattered crime scene. Robert and Michael Bever were tracked down by dogs in a wooded area near the house.

(Writing by Jon Herskovitz)