Tulsa teen accused of killing mom had frequently failed to comply with probation orders, records show
BY AMANDA BLAND World Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013
1/26/13 at 7:45 AM
A juvenile delinquent who is charged with killing his mother failed frequently to appear for court or comply with probation orders since the first of three domestic assault cases were filed against him in 2011.
A delinquent petition filed against Henry David "Hank" Laird, 17, in Wagoner County alleges that he punched his mother, Linda Laird, in the face repeatedly on April 4, 2011.
The case was transferred to Tulsa County after the Lairds moved from Broken Arrow to a rental home in the 7400 block of South Urbana Avenue.
A delinquent petition filed in Tulsa County accuses Hank Laird of shoving his mother to the ground and causing her to hit her head on Oct. 26, 2011.
A petition filed six months later alleges that he threw Linda Laird into a wall, choked her and punched her in the head. Hank Laird was adjudicated as a delinquent in all of the cases.
Linda Laird, 56, was found beaten to death in her Tulsa home on Tuesday morning. During the investigation, detectives questioned and arrested Josiah Israel Sklar, 19, who told them he had seen Hank Laird beat his mother with the butt of a shotgun several hours earlier, according to his arrest report.
Hank Laird was arrested Wednesday and was formally charged with first-degree murder Friday.
The Juvenile Bureau of Tulsa County District Court fulfilled the Tulsa World's open-records request seeking copies of Hank Laird's juvenile history, but the bureau was unable to comment on Laird, his history or the pending murder case.
Documents show that one probation counselor described Hank Laird as a "troubled, very defiant young man" and that another counselor noted that he bullied his mother.
A Wagoner County judge ordered Laird to complete 50 hours of community service, attend school daily and submit to random urine analysis tests. Laird had five days of sanctions after failing to meet those requirements, the documents indicate.
His Wagoner County probation counselor reportedly gave Linda Laird applications for the Tulsa Boys' Home and other alternative living options for her son, but she did complete them. He described Linda Laird as protective of her son despite their volatile relationship.
Linda Laird asked Tulsa County Special Judge Kyle Haskins not to issue a warrant for or detain Hank Laird after he failed to appear at a Nov. 26 review hearing, documents show.
A family friend told the Tulsa World that Linda and David Laird adopted Hank when he was an infant.
David Laird died in 2006, and court records indicate that his death had a traumatic effect on his son.
Hank Laird "has not consistently attended or cared about school since the death of his father when Hank was approx. 10-11 years old," says a treatment plan and service report filed with the court by the juvenile probation office.
David and Hank Laird were "like 'best friends' " before his death, counselors wrote.
Case notes list Hank Laird's interests as playing video games, riding dirt bikes, listening to music and lifting weights. He reportedly attended Woodland Christian Church at one time.
He returned to juvenile detention after he waived his right to jury trials on the Tulsa County charges on May 22. He was ordered to homebound monitoring the next month.
Laird was again ordered to seek counseling, including anger management; to attend school daily; and to submit to random urine analysis tests.
He failed to do so, was declared absent without leave and had a bench warrant issued for his arrest, which was later recalled, records show.
Original Print Headline: Records show failure to comply in probation
Amanda Bland 918-581-8413
amanda.bland@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Henry David Laird: He has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Linda Laird, who was beaten to death.
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