Humphrey: 'Department of Corruption Strikes Again'
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, the vice chair of the House Public Safety Committee, today issued the following about the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. "Approximately eight years ago I exposed the murder of an inmate in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Evidence I gathered at the time shows the department likely concealed and suppressed the murder," Humphrey said. "In an effort to investigate and determine if the department is covering up murders, I gathered information on 28 deaths in approximately an eighteen-month period at one prison. Upon obtaining information on the inmate deaths, I contacted the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) to ascertain how many deaths were homicides or listed as undetermined." Humphrey received information on March 18 from the OCME that shows seven of the deaths he requested information about have been ruled homicide. Four deaths were listed as accidental, one was from natural causes, three were ruled suicides, one was unknown and five are pending a final report. Seven additional names were not found in the OCME database. "I requested the Department of Corrections supply the investigations into these deaths that were listed as homicides," Humphrey said. "I will remind everyone that any person can go to the court and access information into murders. As an elected official, I am obligated to help ensure this department operates as intended. That is why I am completely appalled by the department's response. In an obvious attempt at delay, DOC took well over a month to provide reports on the seven homicides even though the reports were already completed by the OCME. "Why would it take more than a month to provide reports which were already completed? I was told it took the department that long to completely redact the reports. I think the department got itself confused with the CIA and completely blacked out much pertinent information. "Scooby-Doo would say this is a clue, and then he would say, 'Ruh-roh, Raggy! It seems ardently clear the department of corruption has something to hide."