SAND SPRINGS — An argument over gas money led a former Glenpool teacher to kill his mother and kidnap his young son Tuesday evening, police alleged Wednesday.
The ensuing two-state manhunt led to the arrest of Robert Leroy Connor III of Sand Springs, who is accused of shooting his mother, Deborah Ann Armstrong Connor, about 8 p.m. Tuesday after arguing at her home in the 9600 block of Hidden Acres Lane, just off Oklahoma 97 north of Sand Springs.
Police allege that after the slaying, he took his 6-year-old son, Decklan Connor, and fled to Lewisville, Texas, where he was arrested about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. He apparently had been sleeping in a hotel room there, Lewisville police said.
The abduction spawned an Amber Alert that had area law enforcement scrambling to help. Sand Springs Assistant Police Chief Mike Carter said Tuesday night that authorities were looking at locations Connor was known to frequent in Sand Springs, Glenpool and Tulsa.
In the end, the 37-year-old Connor took his son more than 250 miles south, to an area near his family, Osage County Sheriff Ty Koch said.
Decklan’s mother, who has “been out of the picture for a couple of years,” also has family in that area, Koch said.
Decklan was found in the room, unharmed, Lewisville Police Capt. Jay Powell said. Koch said he hopes the weapon used to kill Deborah Connor was found in that Fairfield Inn hotel room, but he didn’t know what evidence Lewisville police recovered.
Powell said Wednesday evening that he wouldn’t comment on what had been recovered.
“We will not discuss evidence in (Osage County’s) ongoing investigation,” Powell said in a media release.
A Glenpool Public Schools spokeswoman said Connor was a teacher on a temporary contract at Glenpool High School in the 2012-13 academic year.
Connor, who was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping Wednesday, has a history of mental problems, family and authorities say, yet no motive for the homicide has been determined.
Koch and Chief Deputy Charlie Cartwright said an argument over gas money took place before the shooting, but he didn’t say why Connor needed gas money or where he needed to go. Koch said he had doubts that gas money was the only factor that led to the death.
“I really hate to say that, but right now, no, we don’t know (the motive,)” Koch said. “Was it just about gas money? I don’t know that I believe that.”
Koch said Deborah Connor had recently been granted custody of Decklan and Robert Connor’s other son, a 10-year-old who escaped to a neighbor’s house following the shooting. Robert Connor’s aunt, Marilyn Lorenz, said Connor hadn’t taken medication prescribed for his mental illness in several weeks.
Koch said Connor, referred to as Robert Conner in Lewisville Police Department booking information, had no known criminal history. Cartwright said nothing in Connor’s past “stood out” to him. Connor had never been charged with a felony in Oklahoma, according to online court records.
Lorenz said she thought Connor might have been going to Lewisville because his brother lives there.
“I don’t know what might have triggered this. Robert was not a violent person,” Lorenz said. “Our family is not violent. I’m in shock.”
Lorenz said Connor and the boy’s mother were divorced and that the mother had applied for guardianship of the child and his brother.
Carolyn Robison, a neighbor who lives just a few feet from where the shooting took place, said Wednesday that she was unaware of any domestic issues between Robert Connor and his mother.
“She was a really nice lady,” Robison said. “It’s going to be hard not to be able to see her again. “I just thank the Lord (Decklan) wasn’t harmed. That is a miracle in itself.”
Deputies were working on Connor’s return to Oklahoma, which could be as soon as Thursday, Koch said.
Cartwright said he thinks Connor will appear before a Denton County, Texas, judge Thursday.
Should Connor waive extradition, Cartwright said it was likely he would be brought to Osage County by early next week.
World Staff Writer Kendrick Marshall contributed to this story.
Sand Springs
Ronnie Dean Haskins III, 40, is accused of killing Zachary Hank Montgomery, 24, about 11 p.m. Aug. 31 at 6105 W. Eighth St.
Tulsa Police Homicide Sgt. Dave Walker said Ronnie Dean Haskins II, 40, was arrested about 5 p.m. at a trailer near 1600 S. 145th West Ave. in Sand Springs.
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