Jesse McFadden: Who is the convicted rapist at centre of discovery of seven bodies in Oklahoma?
A teenage sleepover turned to tragedy this week when seven people were found dead at the Oklahoma home of a convicted rapist.
Jesse McFadden, 39, had been scheduled to appear in court on the same day that the bodies were found on his rural property.
He is believed to be among the dead.
Also killed were two teenagers who were reported missing and endangered on Monday morning after they failed to return home after being in his company.
The identities of the other four victims are yet to be publicly confirmed.
So who is the man at the centre of this horrific tragedy?
Who is Jesse McFadden?
Jesse McFadden is a convicted rapist who was scheduled to appear in court on new charges on the day that the bodies were found.
McFadden was convicted in 2003 for first-degree rape, and served nearly 16 years before being released in 2020, according to Oklahoma prison records.
On Monday, he was due to appear in court for the start of his jury trial on charges of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography.
The charges were filed back in 2017 when he was still in prison for his rape conviction.
While behind bars, he allegedly exchanges nude photos and videos with an underage girl from behind bars.
When he failed to appear in court on Monday morning, police began searching for him.
Missing girls
On Monday morning, an Amber Alert was issued to find two missing teenagers – 14-year-old Ivy Webster and 16-year-old Brittany Brewer – after they failed to return home from a sleepover at McFadden’s home.
Ivy’s mother told KJRH that the two girls had gone to McFadden’s house for a sleepover with his teenage daughter over the weekend and had been planning to go swimming on a ranch in McAlester.
They never showed at the ranch and failed to return home by 5pm on Sunday as had been expected, Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office said.
The two teens were last seen at around 1.30am on Monday morning travelling with McFadden in a white Chevrolet pickup.
Ivy’s mother said her daughter’s cellphone tracking had been turned off and that it was unlike her daughter not to respond to messages or calls.
After the Amber Alert was issued, authorities went to McFadden’s property on the outskirts of Henryetta.
Investigators discovered the bodies of seven people there “not in the residence, but just on the property,” said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Gerald Davidson.
The victims
While the bodies are yet to be officially identified, Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice said they were believed to include McFadden and the two missing girls Ivy and Brittany.
“We believe that we have found the persons,” he said.
“We are no longer looking. We believe to have found everything that we were seeking this morning. Our hearts go out to the families and friends, schoolmates and everyone else.”
The missing endangered person advisory was canceled on Monday afternoon by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Brittany’s father Nathan Brewer confirmed that his daughter was among the victims.
At a vigil held on Monday night, he said his daughter had dreams of being a teacher or a veterinarian.
“It’s just a parent’s worst nightmare, and I’m living it,” he said. “I am just lost.”
The other four victims have not been identified by law enforcement and it is unclear how the seven individuals died.
Unanswered questions
Questions are being asked about McFadden’s ability to be around the teenage victims due to his prior rape conviction and pending sex offender charges.
During the search for the mising girls, Ivy’s parents said that they were unaware of McFadden’s criminal history.
Justin Webster told a local outlet they were “shocked” to learn about his past.
“He should not have been out and it’s our justice system that needs to be harder,” he said.
Brittany’s father, meanwhile, told KOTV that the girls had been to the man’s house many previous times without incident.
