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$2 million bond set for suspects in connection to homicide
A: Main, news
April 16, 2025
$2 million bond set for suspects in connection to homicide
By JOHN BLOCK STIGLER NEWS-SENTINEL

Two men are currently being held in the Haskell County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection to the homicide of Tina Mitchell, 56, of Stigler.

According to Haskell County Assistant District Attorney James Green, formal charges are expected to be filed early next week against Billy Mitchell, 49, of Stigler, and Jack Swanda, 39, of Muskogee. The two men are currently being held on a $2 million bond each for the homicide, which occurred on April 5.

Green said the duo is expected to make an initial court appearance on April 15.

The Haskell County Sheriff ’s Department reported receiving a 911 call at about 6 p.m. on April 5. Deputies traveled to a property between Garland and Cass, just off Tamaha Road to the east, where they spotted a male subject, later identified as Swanda, covered in blood.

According to Haskell County Sheriff Terry Garland, Swanda suffered stab wounds to both his neck and shoulder and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Upon release from the hospital, he was arrested and booked into the Haskell County Jail.

Tina Mitchell’s body was discovered with stab wounds and multiple apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to a press release issued by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations (OSBI).

OSBI and local law enforcement began searching for Billy Mitchell after he was identified as a suspect. He reportedly fled on foot and was found hours later hiding at a nearby property. He was then arrested and booked into the Haskell County Jail.

The next morning, deputies and agents continued their search of the property and discovered a second deceased individual. The individual was transported to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine a cause of death.

Garland said that he expects the death to be a result of foul play and that the sheriff ’s office will have more information once the medical examiner’s reports are released.

As of press time, the deceased individual’s name has not been released.

“I hate it for the families, because that’s who it affects the most right now, because they have to deal with it. The families are in our thoughts and prayers, and we’re doing everything we can possibly do to make this as easy for them as possible,” Garland said.

4th Annual Wine & Art Festival Sept. 6
A: Main, news
4th Annual Wine & Art Festival Sept. 6
August 20, 2025
Artists and vendors are gearing up for the fourth annual Vision Eufaula Wine & Art Festival, set for Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 150 N. Front Street. If you have a food truck, winery o...
Oklahoma’s small-town police take federal immigration role
A: Main, news
Oklahoma’s small-town police take federal immigration role
By MARIA GUINNIP AND LIONEL RAMOS OKLAHOMA WATCH 
August 20, 2025
In the small farming community of Sterling, a singlestreet town of 730 people, Police Chief Brad Alexander entered into a contract with ICE and deputized all seven of his full-time and reserve officer...
Accident
A: Main, news
Accident
August 20, 2025
Joseph Long, 34, died when the car he was driving crashed head-on into a parked semi-truck and trailer, according to Police Chief David Bryning. The accident
A: Main, news
Search is on for another full-time fire chief
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
August 20, 2025
After less than a month on the job, Eufaula’s first fulltime fire chief has resigned. Greg Carmack was volunteer fire chief in Checotah when Eufaula hired him to become the city’s first full time fire...
A: Main, news
LEA 2025 Golf Tournament Sept. 26
August 20, 2025
The 2025 Lake Eufaula Association Golf Tournament will be held Friday Sept. 26 at Arrowhead Golf Course, 3657 Main Park Rd. , Canadian. Registration is at 8 a.m., shotgun start is at 9 a.m. and lunch ...
A: Main, news
Former IJ employee killed
August 20, 2025
Former Indian Journal employee Dawnyal K. Hill, 52, died in a single-vehicle accident in Okfuskee County on Sunday, August 17. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol provided very few details about the event, ot...
City of Eufaula Fire Chief
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A tapestry of blues, memory, and legacy at Eufaula Library
A: Main, news
A tapestry of blues, memory, and legacy at Eufaula Library
By MICHAEL BARNES CORRESPONDENT 
August 20, 2025
This past Friday afternoon, the Follansbee Room of the Eufaula Memorial Library filled not just with guests and folding chairs—but with memory, reverence, and the soul of the blues. What was originall...
2025-2026 school year gets underway
A: Main, news
2025-2026 school year gets underway
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
August 20, 2025
The first day of school was Thursday, Aug.14 with the usual chaos and traffic jams, though not as bad as in the past before the district installed a drop-off point inside the campus at the elementary ...
Muscogee Nation
news
Muscogee Nation
August 20, 2025
Muscogee Nation artist Jon Tiger’s latest work is a mural on the wall of the second-floor Chattahoochee meeting room of Suite Shots Jenks, a sports entertainment complex featuring hightech golf games....
news
Okemah asks for AG help in law enforcement
August 20, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond on Monday answered a request for assistance from the City of Okemah. In an unprecedented move, agents from his office are now standing in for Okemah’s...
FLEAS July Meeting
news
FLEAS July Meeting
August 20, 2025
In July, we celebrated Whole Hawg days early. The room was flooded with pink balloons decorated as pigs with pink tablecloths. The hostesses were Kay Owens, Kim Holloway and Iris Harp. There were lots...
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