Innocents Lost Part 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: The First 48 – Innocents Lost Part 1

Host: Crime House Studios & PodcastOne
Air Date: August 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

"Innocents Lost Part 1" immerses listeners in a harrowing triple homicide investigated by the Tulsa Homicide Department. Centered around the critical window of the first 48 hours after the crime, the episode traces detectives' efforts to solve a devastating case: two men and a seven-year-old girl found dead in a house fire—one of Tulsa’s most haunting recent tragedies. Combining raw scene audio, interviews, and live investigative problem-solving, the episode reveals the emotional and procedural intensity of pursuing justice for the innocent, especially when a child is among the victims.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Crime Discovery and Initial Response (00:03–03:40)

• 4:41am: Neighbors call 911 after spotting a house in Greenwood, Tulsa, engulfed in flames.
• First Observations: Firefighters extinguish the blaze, discovering a deceased man (later identified as Jose Fletcher) in a bedroom.
• Critical Insight:
  • Detective Adam Yurten: "Our chance of solving a murder is cut in half if we don’t get a lead within the first 48 hours." (01:01)

2. Early Scene Investigation & Evidence (03:41–05:52)

• Victim Identified: 27-year-old Jose Fletcher, a truck driver and father.
• Execution-style Killing: Jose shot in the back of the head while on his bed.
• Scene Details:
  • .40 caliber casing found.
  • Open gun safe, holster, and .45 caliber ammo but no weapon.
  • Evidence of burglary or staged robbery considered.

3. Unaccounted Roommate and Neighbor Interviews (05:53–09:32)

• Investigators learn Jose's cousin and roommate, Ramon, is missing.
• Neighbors describe both men as well-liked, consistent workers with no known enemies.
• Notable Quote:
  • Caller/Neighbor: “They both got great jobs, man. They don’t get in no problems. Nothing, man. We ain’t never had no problems over here...” (07:08)

4. Tragic Discoveries & Victimology (09:33–12:51)

• Second Body Found: A severely burned adult in the living room (suspected to be Ramon).
• Third Body Uncovered: Remains of a small child found, later identified as Ramon's seven-year-old daughter.
• Family Confirmation: Jose's ex confirms their son is safe, increasing certainty the child victim is Ramon's daughter.
• Notable Moment:
  • Detective Adam Yurten: “So we have potentially Ramon, Jose and a young kid in there...I’d like to know whose kid that is, who had the kid over here last night.” (10:19)

5. Family Interviews—Human Toll (12:52–15:46)

• Detectives notify and console the victims' families, notably striking emotional interviews with Jose’s and Ramon's ex-girlfriends and grandmother.
• Notable Quote:
  • Detective Jason White: “It’s bad enough having multiple people, but then when you have a child that’s a victim that’s completely innocent, seven years old. That’s outrageous.” (16:41)

6. Establishing the Timeline & Surveillance Leads (15:47–25:08)

• Detectives learn that Ramon and his daughter had been at a birthday party, left with an acquaintance using a contact number with the "539" area code around 12:26am.
• They gather surveillance footage showing a suspicious, lifted SUV (later identified as a dark Chevy Tahoe) circling and stopping at the house 13 minutes before the fire started.
• Notable Scene:
  • Detective Adam Yurten: “I think that guy went in the house and started the fire.” (19:57)

7. Pinning Down Suspects (25:09–37:20)

• Vehicle Focus: The lifted, dark Tahoe with loud exhaust is seen both during fire and earlier, possibly dropping off the victims.
• Fugitive Warrants Unit identifies a matching Chevy Tahoe driven by Andrew Kennard, with a previous weapons charge, residing in west Tulsa.
• Witness and Family Interviews: Ramon's ex affirms he was co-parenting responsibly, denies drugs in his recent lifestyle, and mentions a friend with a white Tahoe—building a focused suspect pool.

8. Forensic Findings—Medical Examiner Results (37:21–39:19)

• All three victims were shot in the head.
• Jose died before the fire; both Ramon and his daughter were alive as the fire began, suggested by carbon monoxide levels.
• Notable Quote:
  • Dr. Lanter (Medical Examiner): “Little girl, she was shot in the head...her carbon monoxide level is at 30%. So I don’t think that she was dead during the fire because it looks like she was breathing some smoke...the last guy, he was shot in the head. He also was alive at the time of the fire. His carbon oxide level was 67%...” (38:17–38:50)

9. Breakthroughs—Anonymous Tips & Suspect Link (39:20–41:22)

• Multiple tips name Keenan Davis Burkhalter (recently released felon, associated with Ramon) as the potential user of the 539 phone number.
• Social media posts show him referencing the victims after their deaths.
• Another unnamed tip ties "Andrew"—driver of the Tahoe—to the crimes.
• Moment of realization:
  • Sergeant Brandon Watkins: “Another name that’s coming up is Andrew. Well, Andrew of course was stopped in that freaking Tahoe.” (41:15)

10. Community Impact and Vigil (33:36–36:00, 34:05–36:04)

• Tulsa community holds a candlelight vigil. Emotional statements from Chaplain Lemuel Taylor, Ramon's grandfather, highlight the widespread grief.
  • Chaplain Lemuel Taylor: “In my 28 years, I’ve given over a thousand notifications. Then finally it happened to me...with my grandson and his daughter...She brought joy that night. That baby was supposed to be with us, me and my wife.” (34:05–35:06)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Discovery of fire and victims: 00:03–03:40
• Crime scene evidence: 03:41–05:52
• Roommate missing & neighbors: 05:53–09:32
• Second & third victim found: 09:33–12:51
• Notifying and interviewing families: 12:52–15:46
• Timeline and surveillance videos: 15:47–25:08
• Identifying suspect vehicles and names: 25:09–37:20
• Medical examiner findings: 37:21–39:19
• Anonymous tips and suspect connection: 39:20–41:22
• Community vigil/impact: 33:36–36:04

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the urgency of the case:

  • Detective Adam Yurten: "Our chance of solving a murder is cut in half if we don’t get a lead within the first 48 hours." (01:01)

• On the emotional toll:

  • Detective Jason White: “Makes you sick. Makes you want to go home and hug your kids, you know?” (23:18–23:23)
  • Chaplain Lemuel Taylor: “In my 28 years...I had to go through it with my grandson and his daughter...She was just bringing joy. She brought joy that night.” (34:05–35:06)

• On the investigation’s direction:

  • Detective Adam Yurten: “I think that that guy went in the house and he started the fire.” (19:57)
  • Sergeant Brandon Watkins: “Another name that’s coming up is Andrew. Well, Andrew of course was stopped in that freaking Tahoe.” (41:15)

• On suspect and motive:

  • “I would think it’s somebody who maybe knows him and doesn’t want to look at him.” (22:39)

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Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is haunting and gripping, combining the procedural coolness of seasoned detectives with palpable human grief from Tulsa’s community and the victims' families. The conversations are often heartbreaking—especially as the death of a child pushes investigators and neighbors alike to express anger, sorrow, and frustration at the senselessness of the crime.

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Conclusion & Next Steps

As Part 1 concludes, detectives are closing in on critical suspects—Andrew Kennard and Keenan Burkhalter—both connected to the victims and the suspect vehicle. With forensic results confirming foul play and community vigilance high, all eyes are on the first 48 hours to deliver justice.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where the investigation continues and answers draw near...

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Transcript

[Narrator]

And now an A E original podcast produced by crime house. It's 4:41am in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Someone calls 911 for the fire department.

[911 Operator]

Fire department, yes, I have.

[Caller/Neighbor]

I want to report a fire on Seminole Place in Greenwood.

[911 Operator]

Okay. Do you know what's on fire?

[Caller/Neighbor]

Like the house. I was leaving my house and the whole house like on, like in flames right now and the house is smoking.

[Narrator]

The caller says a house in his neighborhood is up in smoke and flames.

[911 Operator]

Okay, and do you know where the flames are coming from? Front of the house, back of the house. Upstairs, downstairs, front of the house. All right, I will get truck headed that way.

[Narrator]

The house is a white one bedroom home. The interior is completely burned out after firefighters put out the flames. Notice something over there?

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

They find the body of a man in a back bedroom. And discover he was already dead before the fire. For homicide detectives, their chance of solving a murder is cut in half if they don't get a lead within the first 48 hours. Welcome to the first 48 presented by a and E Global Media, ITV America and Crime House Studios. Adapted from the hit TV show, every episode features a high stakes homicide investigation and the critical hours that define it. We're headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma where a tragic triple homicide has investigators especially angry because one of the victims is a child. This case is so big it's taking two episodes to cover it. Join us today for part one with part two coming next week. A note. This program documents actual homicide investigations. Criminal charges are often dropped or reduced and all suspects covered on this podcast are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. In some episodes, certain details have been changed to protect the identities of witnesses or the integrity of the investigation. Listener discretion is advised. This case is called innocence Lost. As the investigation begins, Detective Mark Kennedy from Tulsa Homicide arrives, arrives on the scene. Detective Adam Yurten updates him on what they know so far.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

What do we got? Fire responded to a house fire. They made entry and in the back part of the house they found a pair of legs sticking out from the bed.

[Narrator]

Sergeant Brandon Watkins adds more.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

There's a guy found in the back room that's dead. That appears to be about the only room that's not burnt down.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

You know his name?

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Jose Fletcher.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Jose, yeah.

[Narrator]

27 year old Jose Fletcher IV worked as a truck driver for a roofing company in South Tulsa. He enjoyed writing music and spending time with his five year old son.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I just want to take a look.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Go ahead.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So he shot right there on the bed.

[Narrator]

Jose was found on his back with a gunshot wound to the Back of his head.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So execution probably. Sorry if we come in.

[Narrator]

Detective Kennedy enters the house to inspect the evidence.

[Detective Jason White]

We've got a casing here.

[Narrator]

Under the bed is a.40 caliber shell casing.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

It looks like we've gone through the drawers. There's a safe over here in the closet.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

And it's open.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Holster?

[Detective Jason White]

Yes,

[911 Operator]

the black nylon holster.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

A lot of 45s. Top left drawer of the dress.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Hold on.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I have a cell phone as well. And it's in the same drawer with the camera. You haven't found a gun though, yet.

[Narrator]

To recap, there's an open safe in the closet. On top of the dresser. There's a black nylon gun holster, but no weapon. The top left drawer is full of.45 caliber bullets. There's a cell phone in there too. They look around some more.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

This looks like a kitchen room. The whole front porch. So your hot spot, you think the fire started right in here? Probably. Or here on the front porch. Yeah, Mike can't see until somebody after killing him, he's pulled your way out. My porch was pretty much gone when we got here. That guy's shot in the back of the head. They said it looked like the doors. There were open drawers in there, so I don't know if it's robbery or what. And they covered him up?

[911 Operator]

Yeah.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So that's kind of weird.

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

Yeah.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

A home invasion. You're not going to cover up the victim? Could be some other.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

We do know that there was a roommate that was living here.

[Narrator]

According to a neighbor, Jose's cousin has been staying at the house.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Don't know where he is or what his name is yet, but I guess that'll be our first place to start.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

A roommate who's unaccounted for. Who you think will be there at 5:30 in the morning?

[Narrator]

An hour and 45 minutes in. While the fire department investigates the fire, Kennedy and Watkins try to learn more about Jose's missing roommate. Starting with some neighbors who are observing the scene.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Sir, you never gotta look at.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Yeah, we know them. And my neighbor.

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

Okay.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Can I talk to you over here real quick? I'm sorry to watch.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Okay. Where do you live at? Right here. I just woke up. What happened, man? Well, we don't know.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

We're trying to figure out the living arrangements there. Who he lived with. So who do you know that he lives there with?

[Caller/Neighbor]

Oh, a guy named Ramon. I can't think of Ramon's last name. Right.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Is he always there?

[Caller/Neighbor]

He's always home.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

You got a phone number for Ramon?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

No.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

What is Ramon does he have a car?

[Caller/Neighbor]

No, they always be in this car right here.

[Narrator]

He points out a white Chevy Sebring convertible.

[Caller/Neighbor]

They get drunk and pass out. Man, I hope that ain't what happened

[Detective Adam Yurten]

to him and Ramon.

[Caller/Neighbor]

No, they don't never get into each other. They like best of friends.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Jose.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Jose.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay, well, he's deceased.

[Narrator]

That hits the neighbor hard.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Oh, my God. You know anything about any problems they've been having with anybody?

[Caller/Neighbor]

No, they both got great jobs, man. They don't get in no problems. Nothing, man. We ain't never had no problems over here with nobody, man.

[911 Operator]

Nobody.

[Narrator]

According to the neighbors, Jose and Ramon were well liked. They had good jobs. It didn't seem like they were in any kind of trouble. Then someone from CSI whispers something in Kennedy's ear.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Are you sure?

[Narrator]

The fire department has made a chilling discovery.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

That's his head.

[Narrator]

The body of another man badly burned in the living room.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

And then there's some bones. Leg bones, I'm assuming. You see the cats. Cold springs, couch, chair or something. Wanna dig this whole room out once we get the body out.

[Narrator]

When the neighbor finds out there's a second body, he seems shocked.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Yeah, looks like it.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Adults? Adults.

[911 Operator]

We don't.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Is there any kids over there?

[Caller/Neighbor]

Does he usually have his kids with him there?

[Narrator]

The neighbor says both Jose and Ramon have young children who stay over a on the weekends.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

It's Sunday morning. Is it an adult?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

Can you tell?

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I would say. I bet that's remote.

[Narrator]

The fire investigator believes the body is an adult's. Watkins thinks it must be Jose's cousin, Ramon. 27 year old Ramon Marquis Brown recently got a job working at a warehouse. He shared custody of his seven year old daughter with his ex girlfriend.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

The skull's halfway gone. I mean, there's not much left.

[Narrator]

Detectives will need the medical examiner to make a positive id.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

According to the neighbors here, they both work, both good guys, you know, but we gotta do some more victimology here and see what. What's all up here because usually this just doesn't happen by accident. We'll see.

[Narrator]

The investigators talked to more neighbors to get a better sense of what was going on with Jose and Ramone.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Never any problems over there. And they both work? Yeah. You see much traffic in and out of there? Like very many people come over there?

[911 Operator]

Not recently, no. Just normal traffic.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

You have a camera?

[911 Operator]

Yeah, but it didn't go off.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay, thank you.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

You didn't hear anything at all?

[911 Operator]

Not a scene.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Do they have any problems that you know of?

[911 Operator]

That I know of?

[Caller/Neighbor]

No.

[911 Operator]

They seem really Responsible get up and go to work and, you know, do the right thing.

[Narrator]

All of them basically say the same thing. Neither of them had any major problems. Things were quiet over there two and a half hours in. Those bones don't match these bones how? It looked like the fire department has found the remains of a third victim.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

This one right here. This looks smaller. That looks like a kid, right?

[Narrator]

Detective Kennedy updates with the tragic discovery.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So we have potentially Ramon, Jose and they and a young kid in there. This was Sunday morning. We know that Jose and Ramon both got their kids on the weekend and took them to their house usually because I'd like to know whose kid that is, who had the kid over here last night.

[Narrator]

Soon someone arrives on scene to help them. Jose's ex girlfriend. She came to see what happened after hearing about a fire at the house.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Hello, ma'.

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

Am.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

What is your name?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

We have a child.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

You have a child.

[Narrator]

She says their five year old son is with his grandparents in nearby Sepulpa.

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

I know. Ramon used his daughter on the weekends too. And he has her with him over here.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Okay. We'll have to talk. Okay. Her son is accounted for.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

The only thing is unaccounted for is obviously Ramon's daughter.

[Narrator]

The fire investigator calls Detective Kennedy over.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Juveniles child. So this is Ramon's daughter. It's not a positive, but it's pretty positive.

[Narrator]

Ramon's daughter attended second grade at Discovery School of Tulsa. She was just seven years old. It's heartbreaking. The investigators are doing everything they can to find out what happened.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

See that white deal? That's where his head was. Okay. And her head is this way. So they're laying on the couch together.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Yeah.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So can we tell if that's a bullet wound or head or. I mean, does it look like could it's been the fire it caused? Can't tell with the amount of blood we've got alone. That's not consistent with the normal fire.

[Narrator]

The fire investigator says that with the amount of blood, it doesn't seem like the victims were killed by the fire. But the medical examiner will need to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Seven and a half hours into the investigation, investigators are still on the scene.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

There you go, ma'.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Am.

[Narrator]

Sergeant Watkins turns to Jose's ex girlfriend, Britney.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

All right, so we were talking a little bit ago. How much do you know right now?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

I called his daddy, but he doesn't

[Caller/Neighbor]

know what's going on.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Okay. Jose is dead. Okay. How long have you known Jose?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

We've worked together for almost. He have a Five year old son. We were engaged.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Yeah.

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

Is it the fire that cattle are.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

No, no, we believe there was something. We believed that there was foul play. Had Jose been having any trouble with anybody?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

I have no clue. Me and him, we haven't really been talking like that often because we been bumping heads a lot, but we just mostly talk when he's coming to pick up my son.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

What kind of person was he?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

He was a friendly person.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Everybody know him.

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

Like I couldn't go out anywhere with him without somebody approaching him.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Yeah.

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

Saying hi.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Had Ramon been having trouble with anybody that you're aware of?

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

That I don't know. I just have no clue. I'm gonna do that.

[911 Operator]

All right.

[Detective Jason White]

All right.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Well, thank you very much.

[Narrator]

And the conversations don't get any easier.

[Jake Stauch, CEO of Serval]

The possible victim's mother, Mr. Ryan.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Oh, brother.

[Narrator]

Ramon's ex girlfriend. The mother of the seven year old victim arrives on scene.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I'm gonna tell you what we have. Originally we found Jose Fletcher in the back room. And then fire investigators have gone through and I'm just going to tell you that we found another adult male and it looks like a child in the house. We know that Jose's child is accounted for. So there's another child inside the house.

[Caller/Neighbor]

It's a female little girl.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

It's hard, it's hard to tell because the fire, the fire is so bad. And he says, let me ask you this, when's the last time you talked to Ramone or your daughter?

[911 Operator]

He got off of work about 5:30, so it was 36, 37.

[Narrator]

She says Ramone picked up their daughter

[Detective Adam Yurten]

after work and so that's the last time you talked to him. And he said he was gonna keep her over here?

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

Yeah.

[911 Operator]

Since she was supposed to come back this morning.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

If he said he's had any problems with anybody.

[Narrator]

No, she says she doesn't know you

[Detective Adam Yurten]

guys fine getting along and stuff?

[Narrator]

Yeah, according to her, they were getting along just fine. These are heavy conversations. And there are more family members for Kennedy to speak to.

[911 Operator]

This is my grandbaby.

[Narrator]

The seven year old victim's grandmother speaks with Kennedy.

[Jose's Ex-Girlfriend Britney]

Can the funeral home come pick my baby?

[Narrator]

She wants to know if the funeral home can come pick up her granddaughter.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Here's the thing. Since it is a crime scene and you know this is obviously foul play here, their bodies will be taken to the ME's office, mellow's hammer's office, do an autopsy and then as soon as that is done, they will call you and you can make your funeral arrangements from there. I'm Sorry. I know that's tough because everybody wants

[911 Operator]

to be at their loved ones.

[Narrator]

The little girl was born the day her grandmother's sister died.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I'm sorry for your loss. You know, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm sorry. We'll do our best to figure out what's going on here.

[911 Operator]

All right?

[Narrator]

Detective Jason White sums up what makes this case so hard to process.

[Detective Jason White]

It's bad enough having multiple people, but then when you have a child that's a victim that's completely innocent. Seven years old. That's outrageous.

[Narrator]

Whoever did this to me needs to pay. Eight and a half hours in, as word of the murders gets out, a friend of Jose's comes forward. Watkins talks to him in a police cruiser.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Tell me about Jose.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Jose just made sure he stayed working, and that's pretty much it.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Did he have any trouble with anybody?

[Caller/Neighbor]

No matter what we knew of.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Okay. What do you know about the cousin?

[Caller/Neighbor]

The only thing I can say about Ma is I know mom gets involved with sketchy people, want sketchy females. That I know for sure.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Was there anything in the house that somebody would be willing to go in and do this?

[Caller/Neighbor]

Not for Jose.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Do you know, was Ramon dealing some weed or something?

[Caller/Neighbor]

I believe he used to, but I don't know if he still did.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Anything else you can think of?

[Caller/Neighbor]

Man, I wish. It's just as cold as fuzz, man.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Yeah. All right, man. I appreciate you. If you could think of anything or hear anything, any lead we can get, we. We need it.

[Narrator]

Then Detective Kennedy gets a call.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Mark Kennedy would tell us. Please.

[911 Operator]

Okay.

[Caller/Neighbor]

All right.

[Narrator]

A man reaches out and says he was with Ramon and his daughter last night.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

All right, man. I appreciate your help.

[911 Operator]

All right.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Thank you. All right, bye.

[Narrator]

Kennedy tells Detective White what the guy said.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Talked to a guy. He goes, ramon and his daughter were at a Latimer at a birthday party. So anyway, funny thing is, Ramon's phone was dead.

[Narrator]

The man said that around midnight, Ramon asked to borrow his phone to call for a ride home.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

And so he calls us. 539. And he said about 12:26am Ramon and his daughter leave with this person. Didn't see the car. She just knows that's the last person that we know was with Ramon and his daughter.

[Narrator]

The man gave Kennedy the 539 number.

[911 Operator]

That's good.

[Narrator]

Nine hours in. A police officer has an update for Detective Kennedy.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Hey, Mark said.

[Detective Jason White]

Hey.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I got video camera show the car circling. Okay, thanks.

[Narrator]

At a house one block away. Their security camera caught a Car circling the neighborhood. He shows the investigators the footage.

[Detective Jason White]

Is that the camera, the top one?

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Yeah. Double clip on that one.

[Narrator]

The victim's house is just visible over the neighbor's back fence. Thirteen minutes before the fire starts, the car comes into frame and stops.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

He lets somebody out. See the guy walking, goes over to the house.

[Narrator]

After the mystery man goes over to the house, the fire blazes up.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So you can see the fire start up here, right?

[Detective Jason White]

Yeah, that fire's rolling.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I think that that guy went in the house and he started the fire.

[Narrator]

Nine and a half hours in, the investigators have their best lead so far. Security footage that shows a man approaching the house right before it catches fire. They replay the video again.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Hear that? That's a loud vehicle. Hear the roar?

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Yeah.

[Detective Jason White]

Can you back that up by frames?

[911 Operator]

I think so, yeah.

[Narrator]

Go ahead and go up to that.

[911 Operator]

All right. All right, Stop right there. That's.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

It's lifted, man.

[Detective Jason White]

Yeah, it looks lifted. It looks like it's got aftermarket rims.

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

Yep.

[911 Operator]

How's the harmony?

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Well, it could be a Jeep Cherokee or something.

[Narrator]

After reviewing the footage, the search continues.

[Detective Jason White]

Let's just look around and see if there's any cameras.

[Narrator]

Detectives will circle through the neighborhood for more surveillance footage. The neighbors are eager to help. But after an hour of canvassing for footage without any luck, detectives get a possible break at a house one block from the murder scene.

[911 Operator]

If you go to the view from the front porch, I watched this the entire day. And there is an SUV that's going

[Detective Jason White]

through here and it's kind of a dark colored one.

[911 Operator]

You can clearly hear him gunning.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Thank you very much.

[Narrator]

Detective White shares what the footage showed. It seems to be a dark colored SUV driving up the street.

[Detective Jason White]

We got a clip of a video at 4:11am that's going to be it, I bet. But I can't tell what kind of SUV it is. Between the media and these neighbors and stuff and these neighborhood associations and tapping into it, that's what it's going to take, man.

[Narrator]

17 hours and 15 minutes in back at the station, the investigators go over the timeline so far.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Ramon is at a birthday party. Leaves are about 12:26 this morning with his daughter. And he's picked up by this person with the five three dime number.

[Detective Jason White]

And I was checking it to see if it had been called in the jail system, and it has not. Margo's gonna check another system that we have an ability to monitor.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I mean, if I'm looking at my thought, between all these guys, this is probably gonna be aimed towards more towards Ramon than it would be. Oh, yeah, for sure. This kid here, they think it probably

[Narrator]

had more to do with Ramon than Jose.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

But the funny thing is that this kid's in the back bedroom on his bed, shot in the head, and he. And he's covered up. I would think it's somebody who maybe knows him and doesn't want to look at him. I don't know if we knew for sure that he shot all three.

[Narrator]

Detectives hope the results of the autopsy will shed more light on a possible motive.

[Detective Jason White]

Whoever did that, they need to be found. Because if they're willing to do that, especially to a child, then could be us, could be any citizen out there. It's just horrible.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I don't know.

[Detective Jason White]

Makes you sick. Makes you

[Detective Adam Yurten]

want to go home and

[Detective Jason White]

hug your kids, you know?

[Narrator]

The next morning, everyone regroups. It's been almost 32 hours.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

And have we got the videoed yet?

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

After following up at the house where he spotted a surveillance camera, Kennedy returns with more footage.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

If we're lucky, we might get a better look at the car to see what kind it is. For sure, it's a Tahoe. And it's lifted and it's got rims on it like we thought. I would say early 2000s to mid 2000s.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Yeah.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So now we have a vehicle description that we are very interested in.

[Narrator]

Kennedy asks the Fugitive warrants unit to search for the suspect vehicle.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Hello, Jesse. Warrants. I think we're looking at a dark colored 2000-2006 Chevy Tahoe. It's got loud exhaust.

[Narrator]

He also checks in with the medical examiner, Dr. Joshua Lanter.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Dr. Lanner.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Hey, Dr. Lanner.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

I don't have names on these guys yet.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Because of the fire.

[911 Operator]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

The ME Will need more time to positively identify Ramon and his daughter and determine their cause of death.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Well, just let me know. Thank you. Take care. But as far as what the motive could be, I have no idea. So we're probably gonna bring down the mother of the seven year old. I want to talk to her again, give a little more background on Ramon. Witness at the scene that stated he might have been selling some drugs. I just want to verify if there's any validity to it.

[Narrator]

37 hours and 20 minutes in, Ramon's ex arrives to answer some questions.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

First of all, let's get into you. And did you call him Ramon or Marquis?

[911 Operator]

Both. Both. But I had called him Marquise.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Marquise. So you and Marquise, how long had you all been together?

[911 Operator]

Me and Marquise was together a year before my Daughter. Then after that, we was together for three years. We basically broke up because he asked me for some money after I had my daughter. And I was like, no. You know, I basically buying everything. No. And I was like, okay, you have to go.

[Narrator]

She says they broke up after Ramon asked for money after she gave birth to their daughter. But she says over the past month, Ramon moved in with his cousin Jose and has been working a steady job.

[911 Operator]

When he got paid, he was just like, I want to give you some money for you and her. Get your nails done.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So has he been taking a more

[911 Operator]

active role in since he had a job? Yes.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So he's been taking her some on

[911 Operator]

the weekends, and I just started letting her spend three weeks. She go over his house every Friday. Every Friday I take her to him where him and Jose was living. We was good co parenting. We was back cool. We worked it out for her.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

What do you know about their evening? Do you know any more about what they did that night?

[911 Operator]

No. And he usually have her call me before she go to sleep. And I was like, okay, she have a call. It's like seven something.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Tell me what you know about Marquis's lifestyle as far as drugs.

[911 Operator]

Do you know if he dealt drugs?

[Narrator]

She says, no.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Has he talked about anybody threatening anybody

[911 Operator]

that's mad at him with stuff like that? He don't even tell me because he know that I'm wary about stuff like that. So he don't tell me. He'd just be like, damn, you messed up out here. And I'm like, what are you talking about? He like, don't worry. And that would just be it.

[Narrator]

She says that Ramon wouldn't share his troubles with her in detail. He'd always tell her not to worry

[Detective Adam Yurten]

about it when you're over there. And you said you usually dropped off with your daughter to him.

[Detective Jason White]

Who are some of his friends that would come over?

[911 Operator]

I know. Probably last weekend.

[Narrator]

She gives them the nickname of one of Ramon's friends.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

You know his real name?

[911 Operator]

No. Okay.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Is he a black male?

[911 Operator]

Yes. Oh, we were probably about the same age. About 27, 28.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay. Does he have a car?

[911 Operator]

Yes. Do you have that car I seen them in?

[Narrator]

Was a Tahoe a Tahoe the same kind of car that was on the camera footage?

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Tahoe.

[911 Operator]

Mm.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Describe the Tahoe.

[911 Operator]

It was just a white Tahoe.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

A white toe.

[911 Operator]

It's dark chin. That's it. It didn't have rims or nothing on it.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

This Regular Tahoe?

[911 Operator]

Yes.

[Narrator]

36 and a half hours in.

[911 Operator]

All right.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

You got anything Else, who do you think did this?

[911 Operator]

See, I feel like he had to be comfortable with this person.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Why you say that?

[911 Operator]

Because he was the type of dad where if he's not comfortable, he's not about to have my baby around.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay, I will tell you this. We're doing everything we can to solve this. But meanwhile, if you find out anything, let me know. You know, the streets talk, especially when it comes to a seven year old. People take that personal and I take it personal. And we work for you now.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Okay.

[Narrator]

Almost 41 hours in, Detective Kennedy shares where things stand.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So far right now the Emmy hasn't had a positive ID on the two victims in the house because the bodies were burned so badly. We have a good idea it's probably from Marquis Brown and his daughter. And then on top of that, we don't even know what the cause of death is yet. It's kind of baffling to us right now because there's nothing that would indicate that Ramon Marquis Brown or Jose Fletcher. We're living a lifestyle that would lead to something like this happening. We have the 539 number that Ramon called asking to give him and his daughter a ride home from a party. We ran it through some of our databases and didn't come back with anything. I'm really hesitant to call the 539 number because it might possibly be a suspect. We don't want to spook him. We don't want him to ditch the phone. So we're going to take our time. Get a search warrant, get a search subscriber information, see it belongs to the following morning.

[Narrator]

Without anything more solid to go on, Kennedy contacts the 539 number.

[911 Operator]

You have reached the voicemail box of 539. At the tone, please record your voice message.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Yeah, this is Detective Mark Kennedy with Tulsa Police Homicide. I was wanting to talk to whoever has this phone number. Just had a few questions to ask you, if you wouldn't mind giving me a call back.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Thank you.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

I want to finish typing up some warrants to get over there.

[Narrator]

Kennedy will seek a search warrant to try to get subscriber information from the 539 numbers carrier.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

We need to get those phone records ASAP.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, turning back to the surveillance video, Corporal Nathan Schilling makes a discovery.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

To go to camera.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Camera two.

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

This one right here.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

3:43 to 3:59.

[Narrator]

The sound of a gunshot 30 minutes before the fire started.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

And then about 10 seconds later, 15

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

seconds later,

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Sounds like gunshots.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

The shots, the two that are pretty close together, you Would think would be father, daughter.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Yeah.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay, so shot one the bedroom, shoots both of them. Ten seconds later, shoots both of them. Yeah, that's possible.

[911 Operator]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Detectives still need the ME to confirm if Ramon and his daughter were also shot.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

And listening to it, it sounds like your gunshots are going to be 30 minutes prior to the fire.

[Caller/Neighbor]

Yeah.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

It's almost like they killed him, came back and set it on fire.

[911 Operator]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

They check for any sign of the suspect vehicle around the time of the gunshots.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

Yeah. If you don't see any,

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Ramon's with his daughter. He was at a birthday party. These are about 1226 with his daughter. And that 539 number is the person who was picking him up.

[Narrator]

Next, they look for a lead on who dropped off Ramon and his daughter after the party. Car pulls up at around the right time.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Fricking Tahoe. They get out of the car.

[Sergeant Brandon Watkins]

There's no way to see that.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

If that Tahoe was the person that gave him a ride home. And then we see the vehicle setting fire to the house. I think Ramon possibly knew the suspects. We need to find out who that 539 number belongs to.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, the news covers a vigil held for the three victims.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Dozens of members of the Tulsa community gathered tonight to hold hands.

[911 Operator]

They're not gonna stop praying until we

[Detective Adam Yurten]

see some results and grieve the loss of three people killed Sunday.

[Caller/Neighbor]

All of us is gonna have to

[Detective Adam Yurten]

be concerned about what's going on.

[Caller/Neighbor]

All of us got to be concerned.

[911 Operator]

There's no words that we have to say what you're going through.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Chaplain Lemuel Taylor lost his grandson, great great granddaughter, and another relative in the fire.

[Narrator]

Chaplain Lemuel Taylor is at the vigil. He's Ramon's grandfather.

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

My name is Lemuel Tiller. Everyone calls me Lem. I've been a chaplain for 28 years on behalf of the police. And as a chaplain, we get called on death calls. When there's a death, we'll go to the address and then I would make notifications. In my 28 years, I've gave over a thousand notifications. Then finally it happened to me that I had to go through it with my grandson and his daughter. My wife called me.

[Narrator]

He looks at a photo of his granddaughter.

[Chaplain Lemuel Taylor]

Yeah. His eyes is just joy in her. Look at that smile. You couldn't help but to love her. She was just bringing joy. She brought joy that night. That baby was supposed to be with us, me and my wife. Ramon, he was saying he wanted to go out or do something. He was going to bring her to this house but never did. So we had to process that. And I didn't blame him. He hadn't always been perfect, But I know definitely he was trying to get his life together. And definitely he wasn't looking for something like that to happen. And it's a horrible thing, But in crisis people come together. Especially with my kids and mom. We can't control what happened, but we can take on how to handle it.

[Narrator]

Four days into the investigation, Kennedy gets a call from Detective Josh Ledbetter of the Fugitive Warrants Unit. He just did a traffic stop on a Chevy Tahoe that matches the suspect inspect vehicle. They got the driver's information before letting him go.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

They take a picture of it.

[911 Operator]

Okay,

[Detective Adam Yurten]

well it sounds like spreading them stopped a vehicle.

[Narrator]

He looks at photos of the vehicle.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

It's dark colored.

[Narrator]

Kennedy contacts Ledbetter for more information.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Does it have a pretty loud exhaust on it? Yeah, it does.

[Caller/Neighbor]

My robo.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

You can hear that exhaust clearly.

[Narrator]

Ledbetter confirms it has a loud exhaust like the SUV in the camera footage. They decide to look into it further. The Fugitive Warrants unit has tracked the vehicle to an apartment complex in west Tulsa.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

What apartment is he in front of?

[911 Operator]

Don't know the apartment, but he's backed up in front of building 28.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Who is in it? Canard Tim 4. This is a guy driving.

[Narrator]

20 year old Andrew Kennard, graduated from Union High School. He has a prior conviction for reckless conduct with a firearm.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

This Tahoe does have a lot of characteristics we're looking for. You know, it could be a coincidence. You know, we don't know at this point, but we're going to have our warrants unit do surveillance on him and see where the investigation leads us.

[Narrator]

Minutes later, Kennedy gets an update from the medical examiner.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Hey, Dr. Leonard, how are you doing?

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

I just wanted to go through some of the findings.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay.

[Narrator]

We can't get confirmation Ramon Brown and his daughter have been positively identified on

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

the one that was found in the back of the house that was not burned as the other two.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Yeah, that would be Jose Fletcher.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Yeah, he does have a gunshot wound in the head. Now we do provide the monoxide testing to see if they were, you know, breathing at the time of the fire. It does not look like he was breathing at the time of the fire. I mean he's got a carboxychemical level of like a five, which is normal. Okay, now the other two are a little more complicated. Little girl, she was shot in the head. Now we tested her carbon monoxide level and she's at a 30%. And it looked like there was her airway. So I don't think that she was dead during the fire because it looks like she was breathing some smoke. Now, the last guy, he was shot in the head. He also was alive at the time of the fire. His carbon oxide level was 67%, which is really high. Me and a little girl are both breathing and smoke before they die. Okay.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So I appreciate it.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Take her. Take her.

[Narrator]

As news about the gruesome murders continues to spread, an anonymous tipster comes forward.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

That's Mark.

[911 Operator]

Yeah.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Okay.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Thank you.

[911 Operator]

All right, you take care. Bye.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Keenan Davis, SL Burke Alter. His name has come up from some people out there that he might be the one that's connected to that 539 number.

[Narrator]

Kennedy looks him up in the database.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Here he is.

[Narrator]

23 year old Keenan Davis Burkhalter. Served six years for burglary and was released just six weeks ago.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

So he just got out. Look at this. Look what he's doing right here.

[Narrator]

Detectives find a photo of him with Ramon.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

He puts this 22 hours ago. Deal. Lots of words on big bro and his daughter's situation. That is our victim right there. I know.

[Narrator]

I mean, then another tipster reaches out.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Hello? Okay. Really?

[911 Operator]

Okay.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

Okay, that's interesting.

[911 Operator]

Okay.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

We might be getting on to something here. Do you know who this kid was that told you this? He's not wanting to talk to the police. All right, you take care.

[Detective Mark Kennedy]

Bye.

[Narrator]

Kennedy shares what the tipster just told him.

[Detective Adam Yurten]

This is interesting. He goes, there's some names that are being thrown out that could be involved. Here's the kicker. He goes, yeah, Another name that's coming up is Andrew. Well, Andrew of course was stopped in that freaking Tahoe.

[911 Operator]

Bingo.

[Narrator]

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the First 48. Join us next week for the conclusion to this high stakes homicide investigation and the crucial early hours that define it. As a reminder, in some episodes, certain details have been changed to protect the identities of witnesses or the integrity of the investigation. To learn about how you can help the families of homicide victims, go to www.aetv.com 48resources.

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