Oklahoma beheading: Murder defendant confessed, attempted second beheading

BY JANE GLENN CANNON
BY NOLAN CLAY
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

NORMAN � A disciplined worker charged Tuesday in the Moore food plant
attack �openly admitted to beheading the first victim with a knife
and cutting and attempting to behead the second victim,� Moore police
wrote in a court affidavit.


Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said it is �highly
likely� the death penalty will be sought against Alton Alexander
Nolen, 30. Mashburn said Nolen, a Muslim convert, yelled Arabic
phrases during the attack.

Mashburn said he will visit with the family of beheading victim
Colleen Hufford before making a decision on the death penalty.
Hufford, 54, of Moore, was killed Thursday afternoon at the Vaughan
Foods plant.

Nolen was charged with three felony counts � first-degree murder,
assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and assault with a deadly
weapon.

Mashburn said more counts may be added later, as witness interviews
continue. He said other Vaughan Foods employees may have been injured
as they tried to thwart the attack.

�They threw chairs, kicked at him,� Mashburn said at a news
conference. �There were a lot of people trying to protect their co-
workers and stop the attacks. There may have been more employees that
suffered injuries ...we can always add counts.�

The FBI is continuing to investigate Nolen�s background, Mashburn
said. If a terrorism charge is appropriate, it most likely would be a
federal charge, he said.

At the news conference, Mashburn said the state had no anti-terrorism
statute. He later clarified his remark, saying the state�s statute
does not fit the evidence in the case.

�Oklahoma�s anti-terrorism statute is directed towards people who
desire to coerce a civilian population or government into granting
illegal, political or economic demands,� he said. �At this time,
murder in the first degree is the most appropriate charge. We plan to
vigorously prosecute this case.�

Nolen goes by the name Jah�Keem Yisrael on Facebook. The attack
sparked concerns of religious extremism after police revealed Nolen
had tried to convert workers at the food plant to Islam. On his
Facebook page, Nolen posted terrorism-related photos, and a graphic
image of a beheading.

�Obviously, there was some sort of infatuation with beheading,�
Mashburn said.

Mashburn said Tuesday he believes the attack was more about race than
religion. He said it was �triggered� by a complaint lodged by the
second victim, Traci Johnson, 43, to the Vaughan Food human resources
department.

Johnson, of Oklahoma City, was treated at OU Medical Center with
injuries to her neck and cheek and was released from the hospital
Saturday, authorities said.

Mashburn said Nolen was suspended from work after the complaint, which
was prompted by an altercation earlier in the day between Nolen and
Johnson, who is white.

�Nolen made remarks indicating he didn�t like white people,� the
district attorney said.

Nolen was called to the company�s human resources office, where he was
told he was being suspended from his job, the district attorney said.

Police initially had said Nolen was terminated.

Mashburn said Nolen left the business, went to his apartment and
retrieved a large kitchen knife. Police in a court affidavit said he
hid it in his shoe before returning to the plant.

When Nolen returned, he attacked Hufford from behind and then grabbed
and cut Johnson, the prosecutor said. Johnson was one of three
employees targeted for revenge because Nolen claimed they �oppressed
him,� Mashburn said.

Hufford, a grandmother, was not one of the three. Her memorial service
is set for Friday.

Johnson is traumatized and does not want to make any public statements
while the investigation is ongoing, an aunt said Tuesday.

Mashburn said he has no doubt Nolen intended to behead Johnson but was
stopped when Vaughan Foods Chief Operating Officer Mark Vaughan fired
shots at Nolen as he was attacking her.

Vaughan is a reserve Oklahoma County sheriff�s deputy. Police said he
shot Nolen with an AR-15 rifle as Nolen turned and began charging
at him with the knife. Mashburn said he believed the company
executive kept the weapon at the plant.

The district attorney said Vaughan fired three shots, but two missed.
One shot went through Nolen�s arm and entered his abdomen.

The murder count against Nolen involves the beheading. The first
assault count involves the injuries to Johnson. The second assault
count involves the threat of harm to Vaughan.

Nolen was at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Moore
police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis said he will be moved to the Cleveland
County jail.

�He was up walking around today, so we are working on getting him
released,� Lewis said.

Police interviewed him at the hospital after he regained
consciousness. He agreed to talk to detectives, admitting he went to
his apartment to retrieve the knife used in the attack, according to
the court affidavit filed with the charge.

Nolen lived in an apartment a few blocks away from the plant.

According to officials, this is the path Alton Nolen took Thursday
from the human resources office at Vaughan Foods, 216 NE 12, to his
home and back to the plant.

According to officials, this is the path Alton Nolen took Thursday
from the human resources office at Vaughan Foods, 216 NE 12, to his
home and back to the plant.

Nolen began working at Vaughan Foods for $8 an hour on Jan. 15, 2013,
as part of a work-release program at a halfway house for felons
completing their prison sentences, Corrections Department records
show.

He has convictions in three cases � for possessing cocaine, possessing
marijuana and assaulting and escaping from a highway patrol trooper.
He was released on March 22, 2013, after being incarcerated for two
years.

Danielle Katcher, a spokeswoman for Vaughan Foods, said Monday that
employees are returning to work. Each shift begins with group
gatherings to allow the employees to discuss what has happened �and
come together as a team and draw strength from each other.�

Company leadership and crisis counselors are helping them deal with
the loss of their co-worker, she said.

1. Religion of peace

2. Blacks are over-represented in arrests (victimized), and too often falsely incarcerated

3. Gun free zones are safe, private carry zones result in wanton killings

4. "Assault rifles" are evil, fit only for those evil military men and criminals


Did I miss any bullet points in the presentation?

Half of nuthin' is nuthin'.

GTC

Las,thats awesome. I might add its just routine workplace violence, nothing like extreme islamic religious fanatics or something. Nothing wrong with that religion here or in syria either, right?

Where are the Federal Hate Crime charges? Where is the Justice Department on this? Too busy running guns to illegals or shutting down legitimate gun dealers or other small businessmen in Operation Chokepoint? Basically, just too busy running ops against American citizens.

Take note that the defensive weapon utilized was an AR-15, America's rifle.

And we are giving afganistan our weapons and more soldiers...the liberals and politicians will never get it.

Islam/Muslims = PURE EVIL

Why all the fuss? He was just doing Islamic missionary work.

"He wuz a goo boy."
/sarc

I assume this was a safe, gun free work place. He was finally stopped by the CEO who apparently had an AR in his office. Only the elite are good enough to be able to protect themselves.

what happened to being charged with a hate crime?

Why would he be? Murder is good enough. He'll get the needle all the same.

The guy who shot him was the ex-CEO and a reserve Officer. I don't know whether he legally could have kept his AR in there had he not been a police. Oklahoma is gun-friendly, but the original workplace lawsuit over guns in vehicles came from there, so...

I don't really care what name he goes by.He needs to be dead YESTERDAY!

Need to prosecute as a hate crime to get one on the books in our favor.

It is a clear hate crime if it was motivated by his dislike of "whites" as it indicates in the article.

For anyone other than the feds who get most of their convictions by pleas because they will have a 162 count indictment with a possible 529 years confinement if convicted, a hate crime prosecution is actually pretty danged difficult unless someone specifically says, "I killed her because I hate white people. Not just her but all white people." So, why muddy up a good case with a bunch of extraneous BS?

Blacks are extremely emotional. Go to a black church, they really have a good time. They can be extremely good and helpful or they can be extremely bad. Ones who are bad are like this guy, seeking something missing in his life, but found the wrong religion or gang. Look at football players. Blacks get very emotional when they score or make a big play. Look at some old films back in the 50's or 60's, white players just went about their business or just smiled and waved. There are more black Muslims for their race in America than white Muslims. I think a lot comes from being raised without fathers in poor conditions by mothers who really don't care. Black Christian families who stay together always do better and achieve more in life.

It's a shame he missed on the first 2 shots....and then didn't fire more after the 3rd. That's showing some substantial restraint to not have fired more at someone who just cut the head off of one of your co-workers after only a single hit. He must have really judged the threat to be eliminated.
One .223 round to the arm and abdomen completely pacified the assailant? I've never been shot, so my opinion is solely base on 2nd hand info, but I am surprised that with the adrenalin and determination it takes to carry out such a savage attack that he went down with one shot.

Local news tonight reported that he is demanding a Muslim lawyer and that he told police he did this in retaliation for these women getting him fired.

I predict he'll try some sort of Islamic law defense.

So long as he gets a Sharia sentence, it's fine by me

The son of a beech needs to be fed to a pack of hogs.

He will be declared mentally Incompetent.

There should be an order to
Kill on sight every Muslim in th US , Hitler had good idea wrong people

No legal issue with anyone keeping a firearm inside a private business in Oklahoma. It may be against company policy, but it is not against the law.

The lawsuit you mentioned, which concerned guns in vehicles at private businesses, came out in favor of gun owners.

Current law:

Oklahoma beheading: Prosecutors to seek death penalty for attack suspect

By Jane Glenn Cannon
By Nolan Clay
October 1, 2014



NORMAN � Prosecutors Wednesday decided to seek the death penalty in the grisly beheading case that has shocked the country.
Alton Alexander Nolen, 30, of Moore, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the beheading. He is accused of severing a co-worker�s head with a large kitchen knife Sept. 25 after he was suspended from a food distribution plant in Moore for racial remarks.

Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said he made the decision on punishment after meeting with the murder victim�s family Wednesday morning.

�I let them know it was my ultimate decision, but I wanted to know their feelings,� he told The Oklahoman.

He said the family felt a death sentence is appropriate. He said paperwork starting the process could be filed this week.

The district attorney said he will seek a death sentence on four legal grounds � known as aggravating circumstances.

At trial, jurors will have to agree at least one of those reasons exists or they cannot consider execution as a punishment.

Mashburn said he will allege the victim�s death was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. He said he also will allege Nolen is a continuing threat to society, Nolen put more than one person at great risk of death and Nolen has been previously convicted of a felony involving violence against a person.

Suspect moved from hospital to jail

Nolen, a recent Muslim convert, was moved Wednesday morning from a hospital to the Cleveland County jail. At a video arraignment Wednesday afternoon, he asked for a Muslim defense attorney, if possible.

Bail was denied.

Nolen wore an orange jail-issued jumpsuit during the arraignment and appeared healthy and calm. Special Judge Michael Tupper read to him the charge � one count of first-degree murder, one count of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

Nolen is accused in the first-degree murder count of killing Colleen Hufford, 54, of Moore, during the attack at Vaughan Foods.

He is accused in first assault count of injuring Traci Johnson, 43, of Oklahoma City. He is accused in the second assault count of threatening Mark Vaughan, the company�s chief operating officer.

Vaughan, a reserve Oklahoma County sheriff�s deputy, shot Nolen to stop the attacks, authorities said.

Police said in a court affidavit he �openly admitted� to beheading Hufford and cutting and attempting to behead Johnson.

Authorities said Nolen became angry after he was suspended from his job following a complaint about racial remarks. Mashburn revealed Tuesday that Johnson, who is white, was the one who complained.

�There was an altercation about him not liking white people. There was some back-and-forth conversation with Miss Johnson and that led her to make the complaint with the HR department,� the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said Nolen left the plant after being suspended, went to his nearby apartment to get a knife and returned to get revenge on employees he felt had oppressed him.

When asked by the judge Wednesday if he understood the charge, Nolen replied, �I understand, but I would like to have my own copy to read.�

Tupper said a copy would be delivered to his jail cell. The judge also read Nolen his rights, before telling him he was going to appoint a public defender for him.

�I want you represented right away, but if you can afford to hire your own lawyer or want to hire your own at a later time, that�s fine,� Tupper said.

When Nolen asked if the lawyer could be of the Muslim faith, Tupper said he did not know if the state public defender�s office had any Muslim lawyers.

The judge set a preliminary hearing conference for Oct. 14.

�This will be a meeting between your attorney and the district attorney�s office,� the judge explained.

Nolen, who calls himself Jah�Keem Yisrael on Facebook, will be kept in a cell by himself and will be provided a diet in accordance with his Muslim faith, a spokesman for the Cleveland County sheriff�s office said.

Nolen was booked into the Cleveland County jail at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. He arrived under heavy guard after being released from the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

He had been recuperating at the hospital from gunshot wounds.

Nolen started working at Vaughan Foods in January 2013 while at a halfway house for felons finishing prison sentences, records show. He has prior felony convictions for cocaine possession, marijuana possession and assaulting and escaping from an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper. He spent two years incarcerated in the state correctional system.

Feed the basterd nothing but pork.