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Thread: Jason Lee Belew Sentenced to LWOP in 2009 OK Rape/Murder of 11 Year-Old Dakota Hughes

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    Jason Lee Belew Sentenced to LWOP in 2009 OK Rape/Murder of 11 Year-Old Dakota Hughes



    Texas Man Arrested In Death Of 11-Year-Old Girl


    CARTWRIGHT, Okla. (October 19, 2009)—Jason Lee Belew, 34, of Grayson County has been arrested for first-degree murder in the death of an 11-year-old girl early Sunday in southern Oklahoma.

    The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said Belew was arrested Sunday in the death of Dakota Hughes in Cartwright.

    Belew was booked into the Grayson County jail.

    He has not been formally charged.

    OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown said the girl was found dead about 4 a.m. Sunday at her aunt's house, but Brown did not say how the girl died.

    Hughes' father, Bill Hughes, said Dakota had been watching movies with Belew Saturday night.

    Her aunt awoke to find the girl dead and the man gone.

    Cartwright is on the Red River southwest of Durant in Bryan County.

    http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/64753587.html

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    Murder suspect soon to be extradited to Oklahoma

    SHERMAN -- Grayson County District Attorney Joe Brown said Tuesday that the Texas cases against Jason Lee Belew, 34, won't keep him from being extradited to Oklahoma to face a murder charge in the death of 11-year-old Dakota Hughes in Cartwright, Okla.

    "Our cases are minor compared to what is going on there," Brown said. He said he hasn't heard from anyone in Oklahoma about withdrawing the Grayson County cases, but when he does, he will make that happen.

    He said he will keep the Grayson County cases available to be filed just in case they are needed after Belew is prosecuted in Oklahoma.

    Belew faces three Grayson County cases including evading arrest, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

    Belew was arrested at 3 p.m. Sunday on a criminal mischief warrant out of Grayson County at a house in the 200 block of North Holly, just outside of Sherman.

    On Monday afternoon, he signed an extradition order allowing him to be sent back to Oklahoma to face the murder charge.

    Authorities contend that Belew killed Dakota Hughes in the early morning hours Sunday after a night of drinking with Hughes' aunt.

    Emily Redman, district attorney for the 19th District in Oklahoma, said the little girl suffered injuries to her face, head, neck and genitalia.

    Just a few weeks shy of her 12th birthday, Hughes was a sixth-grader at Colbert Middle School.

    Colbert ISD Superintendent Jarvis Dobbs said the district was just trying to have a normal day Tuesday. He said the students who were closest to Dakota Hughes were told about her death on Sunday. Those students were not in school on Monday. He said the little girl's older sister is a senior in the school district and was not at school either Monday or Tuesday.

    The district, he said, would do all that it can to make the appropriate counseling available for the students who need it.

    The Oklahoma state medical examiner had not made a ruling on the cause or manner of death by Monday evening, spokeswoman Cherokee Ballard told media outlets.

    Redman told reporters she has not made a decision, at this point, about seeking the death penalty against Belew.

    The charges Belew currently faces are not his first brush with the law. Grayson County court records show that he pleaded guilty in March of 2003 to a charge of assault causing bodily injury and received one year probation, and deferred adjudication. The records show Belew paid all his mandated court costs and fines in relation to that conviction.

    http://www.heralddemocrat.com/hd/New...akes-precedent

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    Man charged with murdering an 11-year-old girl waives right to preliminary hearing

    DURANT — A Sherman man accused of strangling an 11-year-old Cartwright girl to death waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

    Jason Lee Belew, 35, was charged in October 2009 with first-degree murder after authorities said he sexually assaulted and strangled Dakota Hughes.

    During a court appearance Wednesday, Belew waived his right to the preliminary hearing. Associate District Judge Rocky Powers set a formal arraignment for Belew on Jan. 4.

    The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation began investigating the case after the victim’s sister called and said Dakota was dead.

    According to authorities, Dakota was visiting her aunt’s home on Dogwood Lane.

    Debbie Hughes, Dakota’s aunt, told OSBI Agent David Houston that Belew was an acquaintance and they had been out drinking together. An affidavit states that Hughes said she later passed out and after she woke up, she found Dakota’s body.

    Investigators said Dakota had been beaten and raped. The Oklahoma Medical Examiners Office ruled that strangulation was the cause of death.

    Belew was arrested later in the day in Sherman. He is being held without bail.


    http://www.durantdemocrat.com/view/f...home_news_lead

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    District Attorney’s Office seeks the death penalty for Belew

    DURANT —The District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for a man accused of raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl.

    Jason Lee Belew, 35, Sherman, Texas, was charged in October 2009 with first-degree murder for the death of Dakota Hughes of Cartwright.

    A formal arraignment for Belew was held Tuesday, and District Attorney Emily Redman filed a bill of particulars, which is a request seeking the death penalty.

    A bill of particulars gives details on why the death penalty is being requested and contains graphic details of the aggravating circumstances of the crime.

    Redman said that because of that, Belew’s defense attorney, Gary Henry, requested that the file be sealed.

    “The defense asked that it be placed under seal because our bill was very detailed and the defense was concerned that if all of the details of the aggravating circumstances were in the media, that it might taint potential jurors who might serve in the trial at some point,” Redman said. “So he asked that it be filed under seal to prevent the defense from having to fight for a change of venue.”

    The court ordered the document sealed until further notice.

    Belew was arrested and charged following an investigation by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

    Authorities were dispatched to the 375 Dogwood Lane home in Cartwright after the victim’s 17-year-old sister dialed 911 at 4:58 that morning and said that her sister was dead, and there was blood everywhere, according to a dispatch log.

    The victim had been staying with her aunt, Debbie Hughes, who lived next door to the girl’s father, according to the sheriff’s office.

    An affidavit by OSBI Agent David Houston states that she found her niece’s body at approximately 4 a.m. that morning. Debbie Hughes said that Belew was an acquaintance, and that after picking him up in Sherman and bringing him back to her home, they consumed beer and malt liquor that evening.

    Hughes said she passed out and when she woke up, she found Dakota’s body, according to the affidavit.

    Investigators learned that Belew was at a home in Sherman and he was arrested early the following afternoon. The affidavit states he was in possession of Debbie’s cell phone and that he had what appeared to be blood stains on his clothing.

    Bryan County Sheriff’s Investigator John Bates interviewed Michael Belew, the suspect’s father, who said his son called him at 2:26 that morning and said he was at Debbie’s residence, according the affidavit.

    Michael Belew said his son called back less than 40 minutes later and said he was in trouble and that he thought he killed someone, the affidavit states.

    According to Bates, Belew used Debbie’s cell phone to call someone for a ride back to Sherman.

    Belew is being held without bail. His next court appearance is set for Aug. 15, and Redman said the case will most likely go to trial on the September jury term.

    http://www.durantdemocrat.com/view/f...home_news_lead

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    DURANT, OK - The Sherman man accused of raping and killing an 11-year old girl last year pleaded not guilty in Bryan County court Tuesday.

    Full article here

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    Man charged with murdering Cartwright girl to have disposition hearing

    DURANT — A court hearing will be held Wednesday for a man accused of raping and murdering an 11-year-old Cartwright girl.

    Jason Lee Belew, 35, Sherman, Texas, was charged in October 2009 with first-degree murder after investigators said he strangled Dakota Hughes. Belew originally had a disposition hearing set for Aug. 15, but it was rescheduled for Wednesday. During a disposition hearing, a defendant has the opportunity to request a trial or accept a plea bargain if one is offered.

    Belew was arrested following an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office. According to court papers, Hughes, who was visiting her aunt’s residence, was sexually assaulted and then strangled to death, by Belew, who had been at the residence with the girl and her aunt. The victim’s aunt said she had passed out after drinking with Belew. He is being held without bond, and earlier this year, District Attorney Emily Redman announced she would be seeking the death penalty for Belew.

    In other court cases, Joshua Martin Wright, 29, Hannah Layne-Belle Sexton, 23, and Kathy Ann Sheffield, 38, have been charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a school.

    The charges are the result of an investigation last week when The Durant Police Department’s Narcotics Unit and the Bryan County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 930 W. Mississippi St. An affidavit states that officers found baggies of crystal-like substances that tested positive for methamphetamine. The defendants were also charged with felony use of a security camera and a police scanner, due to these items being in the home. According to the affidavit, the residence is approximately 600 feet away from Robert E. Lee Elementary School.

    http://www.durantdemocrat.com/view/f...home_news_lead

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    Hearing set for man charged with murdering 11-year-old girl

    A disposition hearing for a man accused of strangling an 11-year-old girl to death is now set for November.

    During a Wednesday hearing for Jason Lee Belew, 35, the case was stricken from the September/October jury docket.

    Belew, Sherman, Texas, was charged with first-degree murder in October 2009 after investigators said he murdered Dakota Hughes at a Cartwright residence.

    Belew was arrested following an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office.

    According to court papers, Hughes, who was visiting her aunt’s residence, was sexually assaulted and then strangled to death, by Belew, who had been at the residence with the girl and her aunt. The girl’s aunt told investigators that she had been drinking with Belew and that she later passed out. She said she found the victim’s body after waking up.

    Bryan County District Attorney Emily Redman filed papers earlier this year announcing that her office is seeking the death penalty for Belew.

    A disposition hearing for Belew is now set for Nov. 30. During that hearing, the defendant will be able to announce whether he wants a trial or accept a plea bargain if one has been offered. Redman said the rules of professional responsibility prohibit her from talking about plea negotiations on a pending case.

    Belew is being held without bail.

    In other crimes, a Chesterfield, Mo., man racked up five charges following a police chase from Texas and into Oklahoma. Joseph Brian Cannella, 42, was charged Wednesday with felony attempting to elude a police officer and running a roadblock, plus misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of drugs, driving with a revoked license and altering a license plate.

    Cannella was captured after midnight Wednesday morning in Calera following a pursuit on Highway 69/75. Court papers state that he ran a roadblock before he was arrested.

    Read more: Durant Daily Democrat - Hearing set for man charged with murdering 11 year old girl

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    Belew pleads to life without parole for murder of Bryan Co. girl

    The Sherman man who raped and murdered an 11-year-old girl over two years ago in Cartwright pleaded guilty today and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

    35-year-old Jason Lee Belew pleaded guilty to first degree murder.
    He will now spend the rest of his life in prison without the option of parole for raping, strangling and killing 11-year-old Dakota Hughes at her aunt's home in Cartwright, Oklahmoma in August 2009.

    Prosecutors originally filed a request seeking the death penalty, but after speaking with the victim's family they requested life without parole.

    In January Belew plead not guilty but says he decided to change his plea to guilty about six months ago.

    http://www.kxii.com/news/headlines/B...8.html?ref=208

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